Israel says one body handed over by Hamas was not a hostage

One of the bodies handed over by Hamas to Israel was not a hostage, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, stoking fresh fears for Gaza’s fragile ceasefire.

A genetic test at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine showed that one body transferred late Tuesday did not match any of the missing deceased hostages, the IDF said.

Israeli media reports suggested it could be the body of a Palestinian.

“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the military said.

Israel says there are still 21 deceased hostages in Gaza.

During a previous ceasefire in February, Hamas handed over the body of a Gazan instead of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, a mother who was abducted along with her two young sons, an incident that sparked outrage in Israel. Her body was returned a day later and positively identified.

Among the bodies returned late Tuesday, the German-Israeli soldier Tamir Nimrodi was identified, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

Nimrodi, 20, was abducted from the Israeli border area during the October 7, 2023 attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. He had voluntarily swapped weekend duty with another soldier and was killed by Israeli bombardment during his captivity.

His mother, Herut Nimrodi, met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in recent months campaigning for the release of remaining hostages.

The bodies of Eitan Levy and Uriel Baruch were also part of the latest return.

Under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, Hamas is due to hand over a total of 28 bodies. The 20 living hostages were freed on Monday after 738 days in captivity. Four of the dead were also returned that day.

Hamas has cited difficulties locating remains in the rubble after two years of war in Gaza.

Israeli authorities have suggested the delays may be a tactic and threatened to restrict aid and keep the Rafah border crossing with Egypt closed until all the hostages’ bodies are transferred.