Tel Aviv: The Israeli military has confirmed that the body handed over from Gaza has been identified as that of Israeli-Argentinian Lior Rudaeff. The 61-year-old lost his life while defending the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group.
According to BBC, the PIJ reported that Rudaeff's body was discovered on Friday in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza. As part of the first phase of a ceasefire deal initiated on 10 October, Hamas has returned all 20 living hostages and 23 out of 28 deceased hostages. Of the five deceased hostages still in Gaza, four are Israelis, and one is Thai. Israel has expressed dissatisfaction over Hamas's inability to return all the bodies, while Hamas cites difficulties in locating them under the rubble.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a campaign group, has expressed relief at Rudaeff's return, stating, "Lior's return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonizing uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home."
During the initial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. Additionally, Israel exchanged the bodies of 300 Palestinians for the bodies of the 20 Israeli hostages returned by Hamas, as well as three foreign hostages' bodies, including those of Thai, Nepalese, and Tanzanian nationals.
The ceasefire agreement also entails an increase in aid to the Gaza Strip, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a cessation of hostilities. However, tensions persist as both parties have accused each other of violating the agreement, leading to renewed violence. Israel conducted air strikes following accusations that Hamas fighters killed three of its soldiers in incidents on 19 and 28 October. Hamas denied involvement in these clashes.
Since the ceasefire's commencement, Israeli military actions have resulted in at least 241 deaths, as reported by the Hamas-run health ministry. The Israeli military's campaign in Gaza was a response to the 7 October 2023 attack, where Hamas-led gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 hostages. Of the deceased hostages still in Gaza, all but one were abducted during this attack. The health ministry further reported that at least 69,169 people have died due to Israeli attacks in Gaza since the conflict began.