Israel mentioned Thursday that militants have handed over the physique of one of many final 4 remaining hostages taken throughout the Oct. 7, 2023, assault that launched the warfare in Gaza.
Israel recognized the returned physique as that of Meny Godard, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel. His spouse, Ayelet, was killed throughout the assault.
The armed wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad mentioned Godard’s physique was recovered in southern Gaza.
Because the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 10, the stays of 25 hostages have been returned to Israel. There are nonetheless three extra in Gaza that must be recovered and handed over.
Godard was knowledgeable soccer participant earlier than enlisting within the Israeli army and serving within the 1973 Mideast Struggle, based on Kibbutz Be’eri. He served in a wide range of completely different positions within the kibbutz, together with at its printing press.
Israel has been releasing 15 Palestinian our bodies for the stays of every hostage as a part of the ceasefire settlement. The Gaza Well being Ministry mentioned the overall variety of stays acquired up to now is 315.
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and world wide, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you after they occur.
Hamas has mentioned recovering our bodies is sophisticated by the widespread devastation in Gaza. Israel has pushed to hurry up the returns and in sure instances has mentioned the stays weren’t these of hostages.
Beneath the ceasefire deal, Hamas returned 20 dwelling hostages to Israel on Oct. 13. The additional exchanges of the useless are the central part of the preliminary section of the U.S.-brokered settlement which requires Hamas return all hostage stays as rapidly as doable. The exchanges have gone forward whilst Israel and Hamas have accused one another of violating different phrases of the deal.
Israeli officers have accused Hamas of handing over partial stays in some situations and staging the invention of our bodies in others.
Hamas has accused Israel of opening hearth at civilians and limiting the circulate of humanitarian support into the territory. The variety of casualties has dropped for the reason that ceasefire took impact, however officers in Gaza have continued to report deaths from strikes, whereas Israel has mentioned that troopers have additionally been killed in militant assaults.
Well being officers in Gaza have mentioned figuring out the stays handed over by Israel is sophisticated by a scarcity of DNA testing kits.
With simply three hostages left, the edges are near wrapping up the primary section of the ceasefire.
The following elements of the 20-point plan name for creating a world stabilization pressure, forming a technocratic Palestinian authorities and disarming Hamas.
The delicate settlement goals to wind down the warfare that was triggered by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 individuals and noticed 251 taken hostage.
Israel responded with a sweeping army offensive that has killed greater than 69,100 Palestinians in Gaza, based on Gaza’s Well being Ministry. The ministry, a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed information considered as usually dependable by unbiased specialists.
Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
