Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, Nov 26: Israel confirmed on Tuesday that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) handed over the body of deceased Israeli hostage Dror Or. The return came after forensic testing confirmed his identity at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office expressed condolences to the or family and reiterated the government’s commitment to bringing home the remaining hostages and their bodies under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Dror Or, 48, father of three, was killed by PIJ at his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza. Or’s wife, Yonat, was also killed during the attack, while two of their children were kidnapped and later released in November 2023 as part of a week-long ceasefire deal.
The IDF stated that it continues to work tirelessly to recover all deceased hostages and urged Hamas to fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire, ensuring the remaining bodies are returned for dignified burial.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas had agreed to return 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 28 dead hostages within 72 hours of the first phase in October. To date, the remains of 23 Israeli and three foreign hostages have been returned. In exchange, Israel has handed over the bodies of 330 Palestinians killed during the conflict. Fifteen more Palestinian bodies are to be returned in exchange for Dror Or’s remains.
Two dead hostages remain in Gaza: Israeli Ran Gvili, 24, and Thai national Suthisak Rintalak, 43. Israel has accused Hamas of deliberately delaying the recovery of hostages’ bodies, while Hamas claims difficulties locating them under rubble.
The slow progress on returning hostages has stalled the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which includes governance, troop withdrawal, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction efforts. Since the attack on 7 October 2023, over 69,770 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Hamas’ health ministry.