Israel confirms return of body of Gaza hostage Dror Or

Israel has confirmed that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have handed over the body of Israeli hostage Dror Or, bringing renewed attention to the slow and painful process of recovering the remains of those killed during the 7 October 2023 attacks. The announcement came after overnight forensic testing identified the body at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the government “shares in the deep sorrow of the Or family” and stressed that officials are working tirelessly to recover the remains of the last two deceased hostages still believed to be in Gaza. Under the ceasefire agreement that has been in place for six weeks, Hamas is required to return all remaining bodies.

Or’s remains were transferred via the Red Cross on Tuesday, a day after Hamas and PIJ announced they had located his body in central Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces informed his relatives on Wednesday morning that the identification process had been completed. According to the IDF, the 48-year-old father of three was killed by PIJ gunmen at his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the 7 October assault. His body was taken to Gaza along with dozens of others who were abducted.

His wife, Yonat, was also killed in the attack. Two of their children, Noam and Alma, were kidnapped alive and held in Gaza for several weeks before being released during a ceasefire deal in November 2023. In a statement, the IDF expressed condolences and said it remains committed to securing the return of every deceased hostage. The military added that Hamas must fulfil its commitments under the ceasefire and ensure that all remaining bodies are recovered.

Under the first phase of the US brokered agreement, Hamas agreed to return 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 28 others, both Israeli and foreign, within 72 hours. All surviving Israeli hostages were released on 13 October in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza. To date, the bodies of 23 Israeli hostages and three foreign nationals have been handed over. Israel has also returned 330 Palestinian bodies and is expected to return 15 more in exchange for Or’s remains.

Two bodies remain unaccounted for: 24-year-old Israeli hostage Ran Gvili and 43-year-old Thai national Suthisak Rintalak. Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally delaying recovery efforts, while Hamas has argued that many remains are still buried under rubble from months of bombardment.

The slow pace of returns has contributed to a stalemate in advancing the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which outlines proposals for governance arrangements in Gaza, a withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction efforts.

Or’s death is part of the wider tragedy of 7 October, when 251 people were abducted and about 1,200 others were killed in southern Israel. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza that followed has resulted in more than 69,770 deaths, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.