One of four bodies returned by Hamas doesn't match any hostage, Israeli army says
As-salamu alaykum - quick roundup and my thoughts, may Allah grant patience to the families. The Israeli army said on Wednesday that one of the four bodies handed over by Hamas late Tuesday does not match any of the hostages taken on October 7, 2023. After tests at the National Centre for Forensic Medicine, military officials said the remains could not be identified.
The army urged that “Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.” Families confirmed the identities of three former hostages - Ouriel Baruch, Eitan Levy and Tamir Nimrodi - in statements on Wednesday. A hostage group claimed Mr Nimrodi, an Israeli soldier, was killed by Israeli strikes while held in Gaza: “Tamir was kidnapped alive from his base and killed by [Israeli military] bombings in captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
The remains were passed to the Red Cross after Israel announced it would cut the number of aid lorries allowed into Gaza, saying this was a response to Hamas breaching the agreement to return all the dead under last week’s ceasefire deal. On Monday, Hamas handed over the first four of the 28 dead hostages it had been holding; the military named two of them as Guy Iluz, 26, and Bipin Joshi, 22, a student from Nepal.
That same day, Hamas released all 20 surviving Israeli hostages it had held since October 7 as part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump. In exchange Israel released 1,968 prisoners and detainees, mostly Palestinians, the prison service said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded on Wednesday that Hamas meet every condition in the ceasefire deal about returning bodies. “We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one,” he said.
Humanitarian aid into Gaza was paused for two days because of the prisoner and hostage exchange on Monday and a Jewish holiday on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning Egypt’s state-run AlQahera News said aid lorries were moving from Egypt toward the crossing with Israel, where Israeli forces inspect the aid before it enters Gaza. COGAT, the Israeli body that oversees humanitarian aid, told groups on Tuesday it would allow only half of the 600 daily aid lorries called for under the deal, blaming the slow return of the dead hostages. But an Israeli official later said 600 lorries would enter and that steps were being taken to open the Rafah crossing with Egypt for Gazans needing medical treatment.
The ceasefire’s 20-point plan aims for the same aid flow as an earlier truce - 600 lorryloads a day.
Other items from the same briefing: a recent poll of 10,000 Filipino expats in the UAE found 82% plan to invest, mostly in property. Of those, 55% are leaning toward property, 25% toward franchises or small businesses, 15% toward mutual funds, and small numbers toward insurance or gold. Manila was the top location for those planning property purchases.
Short notes and local colour: a few pieces on UAE coins and banknotes, several editorials and film reviews, and some features about local trees and honey - the Al Ghaf, Sidr and Samar trees and the different honey seasons they give. There were also film listings and ratings mixed in with commentary on international events.
Practical tip at the end: always use only regulated platforms, stop transactions and communications if something feels off, save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs), report to local authorities and warn others to prevent further harm.
May Allah ease the suffering of those affected and guide all to justice and mercy.
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