Overview
- The Israel Defense Forces said remains transferred via the International Committee of the Red Cross on November 13 were forensically identified as those of Meni Godard, 73, killed in the October 7, 2023 attack at Kibbutz Beeri.
- Since the October 10 ceasefire, Israel has received 24 sets of hostage remains, and authorities say three bodies are still to be recovered in Gaza, including two Israelis and a Thai citizen.
- Israel has been returning 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage’s remains, and Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 315 Palestinian bodies have been received to date.
- Israeli officials accuse Hamas of providing partial or staged remains in some cases, while Palestinian groups cite widespread devastation and scarce DNA testing resources as obstacles to recovery and identification.
- Diplomats continue to discuss a proposed international stabilization force as officials stress that advancing the ceasefire plan requires the return of all remaining hostage bodies.