Israel has officially verified that the two bodies handed over this week by Hamas belong to hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, bringing renewed emotions and sharp political reactions as the fragile Gaza ceasefire continues to face strain.
The handover was made through the Red Cross, with confirmation announced by the prime minister’s office on Thursday.
In its statement, the government offered condolences to the relatives of the two victims. "The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Cooper and Sahar families and all the families of the fallen hostages," the statement read.
The confirmation came shortly after an earlier dispute over remains that Israel said were wrongly presented by Hamas. On Tuesday, officials accused the group of breaching the pause in fighting by sending a coffin that did not belong to one of the 13 dead Israeli and foreign hostages who are yet to be returned.
Israeli forensic teams later confirmed the remains were those of Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage whose body the military had already collected in Gaza late last year.
To support its claims, the Israeli military released aerial images showing what it described as Hamas members handling a body bag in Gaza City, burying it, then staging its recovery in front of Red Cross workers. The Red Cross responded that its staff had no knowledge the remains had been moved before their arrival and called the act "unacceptable".
Hamas rejected the claims, insisting the accusations were false and accusing Israel of "seeking to fabricate false pretexts in preparation for taking new aggressive steps".
Hours after that exchange, Israel reported another breach, saying a soldier was killed in an attack in southern Gaza. Hamas denied involvement in the incident near Rafah. In response, Israeli forces launched air strikes across the territory on Tuesday night, saying they targeted "dozens of terror targets and terrorists".
Health officials in Gaza reported 104 deaths from the strikes, including 46 children and 20 women. They described it as the deadliest day since the truce took effect on 10 October.
US President Donald Trump said the peace deal remained secure, stating "nothing" would interfere with the ceasefire agreement brokered by the US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. But he added Israel should "hit back" if its troops were attacked.
The ongoing exchange deal requires Hamas to hand over 20 living hostages and 28 bodies within 72 hours.
Earlier, Israel received all living Israeli captives on 13 October in return for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
The country has also returned 195 Palestinian bodies in exchange for the remains of 13 Israeli hostages so far, along with two foreign nationals — one from Thailand and one from Nepal.
Of the 13 deceased hostages still held in Gaza, 11 are Israeli, one Tanzanian and one Thai. Most were taken during the 7 October 2023 attack, when 251 people were seized and about 1,200 others killed.
Since Israel launched its operation in Gaza, more than 68,600 people have died, including over 200 since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
