Israel, Gaza and Hamas
Digest more
The body of the oldest hostage taken by Hamas following its October 7, 2023 attacks was among two deceased hostages returned to Israel from Gaza on Tuesday.
Every night the parents of Omer Neutra, whose remains are thought to be held by Hamas, wait for news of his return.
Since the Gaza peace plan took effect early this week, Hamas has handed over 20 living hostages and the confirmed remains of 12 hostages.
Israel and Hamas have exchanged the remains of more captives, but the Palestinian group says Israel is failing to uphold the terms of the Gaza ceasefire agreement by refusing to reopen the crucial Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Haimi was a veteran of the IDF Paratroopers Brigade and served as the commander of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak's emergency response squad. He was murdered by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has released the last surviving hostages it was holding in Gaza, in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners, under the terms of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Israel said it has received the bodies of three more hostages, and Gaza officials said they received the bodies of 15 more Palestinians released by Israel.
Omer Neutra from New York state is one of two deceased American Israeli hostages whose bodies have still not been returned by Hamas.
1don MSN
As Israel-Hamas clashes test Trump's Gaza peace deal, Vance, Witkoff and Kushner all head to region
After Israel-Hamas clashes test Trump's Gaza peace deal, his top negotiators return to the region to shore up the ceasefire.