Israeli PM's Office Denies Link: Remains Received from Gaza Do Not Belong to Any Israeli Hostages

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today, Wednesday, that the remains received by Israeli authorities yesterday, Tuesday, via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from the Gaza Strip, do not belong to any of the remaining Israeli or Thai hostages.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office read: "Following the completion of the identification process at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, it was determined that the remains brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not related to any of the deceased hostages."

Under the ceasefire agreement effective since October 10, Hamas pledged to return all 48 hostages, including 20 living individuals. The movement still holds the bodies of two captives: Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai worker Sudthisak Rinthalaek, out of 28 deceased hostages.

Netanyahu's office confirmed that the families of the two hostages were contacted, emphasizing that "The effort to bring them back will not cease until the mission is accomplished, returning them for proper burial." Israeli Police had announced on Tuesday that they received remains believed to belong to one of the two remaining hostages, despite a Hamas official expressing doubt to AFP regarding the certainty of the samples' identity.

Hamas states that the process of recovering bodies is proceeding slowly due to the massive piles of rubble left by two years of devastating war. The ICRC confirmed yesterday evening that Hamas handed over the remains, fulfilling terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Continued Fighting and Civilian Casualties: In a related context, Israeli military operations and shelling continued in various areas of the Strip:

• Palestinian news agency (WAFA) reported the arrival of five fatalities at Gaza hospitals since dawn today.

• Shelling targeting a house in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood led to the death of two people, including a child, and 15 injuries.

• Two other people were killed and others injured Tuesday evening following shelling that targeted a house in Gaza City.

• Several citizens, including women and children, were injured after shelling hit the Al-Durj School, which was housing displaced people.

• The number of journalists killed rose to 257 following the announcement of the death of photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi. The government media office in Gaza called on international institutions to protect journalists and hold those responsible for the violations accountable.