A body returned to Israel by Hamas yesterday is not an Israeli hostage, officials have told local media.
Hamas has been accused of fresh insult after tests revealed that one of the four remains belongs to a Gazan.
The other three remains were identified as Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levy, and Uriel Baruch.
After the identities of three of the bodies were revealed, forensic scientists in Israel indicated that they were investigating the possibility that one did not belong to one of the 24 who died in captivity in Gaza.
Earlier this year, Hamas officials returned a body they claimed belong to Shiri Bibas, who was one of the hostages. It was later confirmed that it belonged to a Palestinian.
The latest development has sparked a huge outrage among bereaved families who demanded the government to take decisive action against Hamas.
One of the stipulations of Us president Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan was the release of all hostages – dead or alive.
But Hamas’ failure to provide the remains of the deceased has led to fears that the peace deal is already at risk.
Yesterday, it was reported that the Red Cross had joined in the search for the bodies.
A vehicle belonging to the charity was seen heading to the ‘Kissufim’ area to look for bodies in the ruins of Gaza.
After the release of all living hostages on Monday, Israel ordered Hamas to deliver the bodies of all dead hostages by the end of Tuesday.
This is a breaking news story with more to follow.
A body returned to Israel by Hamas has been identified as a Gazan
