On Tuesday, Israel received the coffins of two hostages who were returned from Gaza through the Red Cross. Officials stated that the remains will undergo identification before being released to their families, as the military pledged its continued efforts to bring home all remaining captives.
The Prime Minister’s office confirmed that the coffins were transferred to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet force inside Gaza. From there, they are to be transported to Israel, where a military ceremony, overseen by the chief military rabbi, will mark their reception.
Upon receipt, the coffins will be placed under the custody of the National Center of Forensic Medicine, part of the Ministry of Health, for identification. Families will receive formal notification once this process is complete.
The prime minister’s office conveyed that all families of the deceased hostages have been informed, and sympathy has been expressed for their loss.
“The effort to return our hostages continues ceaselessly and will not stop until the very last hostage is returned,” Netanyahu’s office stated.
This news coincides with the identification of other remains as those of Sgt. Maj. Tal Haimi, who commanded Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team.
Haimi was 41 at the time of his death and, according to the IDF, was killed in combat while defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the October 7, 2023, massacre. His remains were subsequently taken to Gaza, where they were held for more than two years.
Haimi’s family initially believed he had been taken alive, but Israel officially declared him deceased on December 13, 2023.
Following the identification of Haimi’s remains, Netanyahu’s office expressed condolences to his family and reiterated its call for proper burial.
The IDF echoed this call, demanding that Hamas fulfill its obligations under the agreement brokered by the Trump administration.
On October 13, 2025, the final 20 living hostages returned to Israel after more than two years in captivity. Since then, the remains of 28 deceased hostages have been gradually returned, while 13 others — including U.S. citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra and soldier Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held since 2014 — remain in Gaza.
Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.