Hamas is expected to transfer an item requested by Israel for examination, an Israeli official said Monday, but clarified that it does not involve the body of a deceased hostage.
“The item was located yesterday during searches in [the] Zeitoun [neighborhood of Gaza City] and, at our request, will be transferred for examination in Israel via the Red Cross. This is not the transfer of a hostage’s remains,” according to the official.
The statement contradicts an earlier report by Al Jazeera that Hamas had handed over remains to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Gaza City area.
The reported handover is part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Oct. 10, 2025, under which dozens of bodies and some living hostages are being returned. The Red Cross has not provided detailed public comment on the latest case.
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The last three slain hostages whose remains are held in Gaza: Dror Or, Sudthisak Rinthalak and Sgt. 1st Class Ran Gvili
The most recent hostage returned for burial in Israel was Meny Godard, whose remains were transferred last week.
As of Monday, the bodies of three slain hostages remain in Gaza: Dror Or, Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. The families continue to press for their retrieval.