Overview
- Israeli authorities said the remains are those of Lt. Col. Assaf Hamami, Capt. Omer Neutra and Oz Daniel, who were killed on October 7 and taken into Gaza.
- The coffins were handed to Israeli forces by the Red Cross after Hamas said the bodies were recovered from a tunnel in southern Gaza.
- Identification at Israel’s Abu Kabir forensics institute follows earlier returns that included Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch and a recent batch that proved not to be hostages.
- Since the cease-fire began on October 10, militants have transferred 20 Israeli hostage bodies in small increments as Israel presses for faster deliveries.
- Israel has been returning Palestinian remains in parallel, while Gaza’s health officials report shortages of DNA kits that hinder identifications.