Israel on Thursday confirmed the identities of two deceased hostages — Amiram Kuper and Sahar Baruch — whose remains were returned earlier in the day by Hamas.
According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the families of both men were informed following “the completion of the identification process by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.”
The two men were among the 251 people abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which ignited the ongoing Gaza war.
Sahar Baruch, 25, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri and later killed during a failed Israeli rescue mission two months into his captivity.
Amiram Kuper, 84, was abducted alongside his wife Nourit from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Israel declared him dead in captivity in June 2024.
So far, militants have returned the remains of 17 out of 28 deceased hostages that Hamas agreed to hand over as part of a U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and the militant group.
In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum extended its condolences to the families of Kuper and Baruch and renewed its call for the immediate return of the remaining bodies.
Meanwhile, tensions in Gaza remain high. Israel launched a series of overnight airstrikes from Tuesday to Wednesday following an attack that killed an Israeli soldier in Rafah.
Gaza’s civil defence agency, which operates under Hamas authority, reported that more than 100 people, including several children, were killed in what it described as the deadliest bombardment since the October 10 truce began.
By Wednesday morning, Israeli officials said they had resumed “renewed enforcement of the ceasefire.” Both U.S. President Donald Trump and mediator Qatar expressed optimism that the fragile truce would hold.
Hamas, for its part, denied involvement in the Rafah attack and reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire. The group warned, however, that any escalation could “hinder the search, excavation, and recovery” of the remaining bodies.
Earlier this week, Hamas sparked outrage in Israel after returning partial remains of a previously recovered hostage — an act Israel said violated the truce agreement. Forensic analysis later revealed the remains belonged to a hostage already repatriated nearly two years ago.
Since the ceasefire took effect, Hamas has released 20 surviving captives and has been gradually returning the bodies of deceased hostages. Israel has accused the group of delaying the process, while Hamas claims efforts are ongoing to locate remains buried beneath Gaza’s rubble.
