Hamas militants carry a white bag believed to include a physique, after retrieving it from a tunnel throughout a seek for the stays of hostages in Hamad Metropolis, Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.
Jehad Alshrafi/AP
cover caption
toggle caption
Jehad Alshrafi/AP
JERUSALEM — For the reason that U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza started on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have launched the stays of 23 hostages held for the previous two years. However the strategy of returning the our bodies of the 5 remaining hostages, as known as for underneath the truce deal, is progressing slowly.
Hamas says it has not been capable of attain all the stays as a result of they’re buried underneath rubble left by Israel’s two-year offensive in Gaza. Israel has accused the militants of dragging their ft and threatened to renew navy operations or withhold humanitarian assist if all stays will not be returned.
In the latest launch, Hamas returned the stays of an Israeli man who died whereas preventing Hamas within the militants’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault that began the warfare. He was recognized as Lior Rudaeff, who was 61 when he was killed.
In return, Israel has launched the our bodies of 285 Palestinians again to Gaza. Israel has not offered particulars on their identities, and it’s unclear in the event that they had been individuals killed in Israel throughout the Oct. 7 assault, Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or our bodies taken from Gaza by Israeli troops throughout the warfare.
Well being officers in Gaza have struggled to establish the our bodies with out entry to DNA kits and have recognized 84 of the our bodies.
Here is a take a look at the hostages whose stays haven’t been returned.
Meny Godard, 73
Meny Godard was knowledgeable soccer participant earlier than enlisting within the Israeli navy and serving within the 1973 Mideast Struggle, in line with Kibbutz Be’eri. He served in quite a lot of completely different positions within the kibbutz, together with at its printing press.
On the morning of Oct. 7, Godard and his spouse, Ayelet, had been compelled out of their residence after it was set on fireplace. She hid within the bushes for quite a lot of hours earlier than militants found her and killed her. She was capable of inform her kids that Meny had been killed earlier than she died. The household held a double funeral for the couple. They’re survived by 4 kids and 6 grandchildren.
Hadar Goldin, 23
Hadar Goldin’s stays are the one ones which have been held in Gaza since earlier than the warfare. The Israeli soldier was killed on Aug. 1, 2014, two hours after a ceasefire took impact ending the that yr’s warfare between Israel and Hamas. Primarily based on proof discovered within the tunnel the place Goldin’s physique was taken, together with a blood-soaked shirt and prayer fringes, the navy rapidly decided that he had been killed within the assault.
Goldin is survived by his dad and mom and three siblings, together with a twin. He had proposed to his fiancée earlier than he was killed. Earlier this yr, Goldin’s household marked 4,000 days since his physique was taken. The navy retrieved the physique of one other soldier who was killed within the 2014 warfare earlier this yr.
Ran Gvili, 24
Ran Gvili, who served in an elite police unit, was recovering from a damaged shoulder he sustained in a bike accident however rushed to help fellow officers on Oct. 7. After serving to individuals escape from the Nova music pageant, he was killed preventing at one other location and his physique was taken to Gaza. The navy confirmed his demise 4 months later. He’s survived by his dad and mom and a sister.
Dror Or, 52
Dror Or was a father of three who labored on the dairy farm on Kibbutz Be’eri for 15 years, rising to the place of supervisor. He was an knowledgeable cheesemaker, in line with household and buddies. On Oct. 7, the household was hiding of their secure room when militants lit the home on fireplace. Dror and his spouse, Yonat, had been killed. Two of their kids, Noam, 17, and Alma, 13, had been kidnapped and launched throughout the November 2023 ceasefire.
Sudthisak Rinthalak
Sudthisak Rinthalak was an agricultural employee from Thailand who had been employed at Kibbutz Be’eri. In line with media experiences, Rinthalak was divorced and had been working in Israel since 2017. A complete of 31 employees from Thailand had been kidnapped on Oct. 7, the biggest group of foreigners to be held in captivity. Most of them had been launched within the first and second ceasefires. The Thai International Ministry has mentioned along with the hostages, 46 Thais have been killed throughout the warfare.
