Handed Over via International Red Cross in Gaza
Israel Urges Hamas to Fulfill Commitments
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has returned the body of another Israeli hostage who had been held captive.
On October 18 (local time), the Israeli military announced that Hamas handed over a coffin containing the hostage's body to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in southern Gaza at around 11:50 p.m. the previous night. The body was immediately transported to Israel, where identification procedures were conducted at a forensic institute.
The Israeli military stated that the deceased was identified as Eliyahu Margalit, who was 75 years old at the time of his death. He was reportedly killed in a stable at Nir Oz Kibbutz during Hamas's surprise attack on October 7 last year, after which his body was taken to Gaza. His daughter, Nili Margalit, who was abducted with him, was released after 55 days in captivity.
As a result, 10 of the 28 hostage bodies held by Hamas as of the ceasefire on the 9th have now been returned to Israel. All 20 surviving hostages had already been released by the 13th.
The Israeli military urged, "Hamas must fulfill its commitments by returning all hostages to their families and allowing the bereaved to hold dignified funerals."
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum stated on SNS X (formerly Twitter), "The wounds of the bereaved can never be fully healed, but Eliyahu’s return has brought a small measure of comfort," adding, "We will not stop our efforts until all 18 remaining hostages are brought home."
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