Hamas‑Returned Remains Not Israeli Hostages

Israeli forensic tests at the Abu Kabir institute concluded that the partial remains handed over by Hamas on Friday via the Red Cross do not match any known Israeli hostages. The ICRC said it facilitated the transfer but does not take part in locating remains, and Israeli authorities said it remains unclear who the returned remains belong to or why they were handed over. The handover came amid the U.S.-brokered ceasefire process in which Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages while 11 deceased hostages are still believed to be in Gaza. Israel has returned dozens of Palestinian bodies under the truce, including a recent transfer of 30. Israeli officials warned the unexpected mismatch could undermine the fragile truce and complicate efforts to recover and identify the remaining hostages.