Overview
- The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed late Monday that the body returned from Gaza was identified as Tal Haimi, a 41-year-old member of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team.
- The casket was transferred by Hamas to the Red Cross, received by the IDF inside Gaza, verified on site, draped with an Israeli flag, and escorted to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.
- Forensic identification was completed by the Abu Kabir institute with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate before representatives notified Haimi’s family.
- Haimi was killed defending Nir Yitzhak on October 7, 2023; his death was officially determined in December 2023, and his remains returned after 745 days.
- Reporting states that 15 deceased hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza and 13 bodies have been recovered, with the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades claiming it had held Haimi’s remains.