Israel receives remains of two deceased hostages held in Gaza

Israel received the remains two deceased hostages held in Gaza on Thursday afternoon. The remains were transferred to Israel via the Red Cross and taken to the country’s national forensics laboratory for identification.

The deceased hostages were identified as Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Cooper, 84, was one of the founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz near the border with Gaza. He was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023. His family was notified in June 2024 that he was killed in captivity. The circumstances of his death remain unclear, but the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said he was was killed in captivity around February of last year.

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