A body transferred to Israel on Tuesday as part of a deal to return the remains of Israeli hostages killed in captivity has been identified as a Palestinian man suspected of collaborating with Israel, not an Israeli soldier, contrary to Hamas’ claims.
The body was one of four handed over by Hamas under the ongoing ceasefire and hostage-release negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza. Israeli forensic officials confirmed the identities of three: IDF soldier Tamir Nimrodi, who was kidnapped alive just weeks before his 19th birthday; Uriel Baruch, 35, abducted while returning from the Nova music festival; and Eitan Levy, 53, taken from Kibbutz Mefalsim. All three were confirmed to have died in captivity.
But the fourth body sparked confusion. According to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, it did not match the identity of any known Israeli hostage or missing person. A security official later confirmed the body was not Israeli but that of a Palestinian.
Hamas, however, insisted the remains belonged to an Israeli soldier captured during fighting in Jabaliya in May 2024. A senior Hamas source told Al Jazeera that “the body Israel claims is not theirs belongs to a soldier taken by al-Qassam Brigades during a resistance operation.”
The Gaza-based Shehab News Agency published a photo of the deceased man, identifying him as Khalil Dawas, a resident of Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in the West Bank. His image was shown alongside photos of a weapon allegedly found with him.
But according to a 2024 investigation by Ynet, Dawas was not a soldier but a Palestinian civilian suspected of aiding Israeli security forces. Residents of his refugee camp said he had long been viewed as a controversial figure, accused of informing on terrorists involved in attacks on Israelis.
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Images released by Hamas showing firearms it claims were found in the possession of Khalil Dawas, a Palestinian from the West Bank, whose body was mistakenly transferred to Israel as part of a hostage deal
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Ministry confirmed Dawas had been detained by Israel in 2020 and held under administrative detention at Ofer Prison based on classified intelligence. His detention was allegedly linked to national security concerns. Locals from Aqabat Jaber later reported he had not been seen in Jericho for some time and was believed to be in Gaza. “We saw his picture and it confirmed what many here suspected — that he had helped the IDF,” one resident said.
The misidentification has renewed scrutiny of Hamas’ claims throughout the war. In May 2024, Hamas released a video claiming its fighters had lured Israeli soldiers into a tunnel in Jabaliya, killed them and dragged their bodies away. The group published images of a bloodied body in military-style clothing, as well as photos of rifles, helmets and other equipment allegedly seized in the operation.
Abu Obaida, the now-deceased spokesman of Hamas’ military wing, said at the time that the group had carried out a "complex ambush" in northern Gaza. Another senior Hamas figure, Mahmoud Mardawi, declared that “the resistance has fulfilled its promise to the people.”
The IDF strongly denied the claims at the time, saying there was no evidence any soldiers had been abducted in that incident. “There was no kidnapping of a soldier,” the IDF said in a statement then.
The latest confusion has compounded the anguish of hostage families awaiting word about their loved ones. “The torment Hamas is inflicting on Israel and the families of the fallen continues,” said one Israeli official involved in the recovery efforts.
In her remarks Tuesday, the mother of one of the returned hostages appealed for continued international pressure to bring the remaining bodies of captives home. “There are still 19 hostages and fallen soldiers who must come home,” she said. “There are families whose hearts are still beating, waiting for their loved ones — even if their loved one’s heart has already stopped.”