Since the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza began on 10 October, Palestinian militants have handed over the remains of 21 Israeli hostages who had been held for nearly two years. But the return of the bodies of seven remaining hostages, as stipulated in the truce deal, has slowed to a crawl.
Hamas says retrieving all the remains has been difficult because many are buried under the rubble left by Israel’s prolonged offensive in Gaza. Israel, however, accuses the group of deliberate delay and has warned of resuming military operations or cutting humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned soon.
In the most recent exchange, Hamas released the remains of Itay Chen, an Israeli-American tank commander killed during the militants’ 7 October, 2023, assault on southern Israel. In return, Israel handed over 285 Palestinian bodies to Gaza. Israel has not clarified whether they were militants killed in Israel, detainees who died in custody, or bodies taken from Gaza during the war.
Health officials in Gaza say the identification process has been slow due to the lack of DNA testing kits, with only 84 of the 285 bodies identified so far.
The hostages whose remains have yet to be returned
Meny Godard, 73
A former professional footballer and veteran of the 1973 Mideast War, Meny Godard lived at Kibbutz Be’eri, where he worked in various roles including at its printing press. On 7 October, militants set fire to his home. His wife, Ayelet, hid for hours before being found and killed. Before dying, she told their children Meny had also been killed. The family held a joint funeral for the couple, who are survived by four children and six grandchildren.
Hadar Goldin, 23
Hadar Goldin’s body has been held in Gaza since 2014 — the longest of any Israeli captive. He was killed just two hours after a ceasefire began on August 1, 2014, during that year’s Israel-Hamas war. Evidence from the tunnel where he was taken — a bloodied shirt and prayer fringes — confirmed his death. Goldin is survived by his parents, three siblings including a twin, and a fiancée to whom he had recently proposed.
Ran Gvili, 24
An officer in an elite police unit, Ran Gvili was recovering from a motorcycle injury but joined rescue operations during the7 October attack. After helping people flee the Nova music festival, he was killed while fighting elsewhere and his body was taken to Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and sister.
Joshua Loitu Mollel, 21
A Tanzanian agricultural student at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, Mollel had arrived just 19 days before October 7 to gain experience he hoped to apply at home. Videos posted by Palestinian militant factions showed him being stabbed and shot, according to Human Rights Watch. He is survived by his parents and four siblings in Tanzania.
Dror Or, 52
A dairy manager and cheesemaker at Kibbutz Be’eri, Dror Or was killed alongside his wife, Yonat, when militants set fire to their home as they hid in a safe room. Two of their children, Noam, 17, and Alma, 13, were taken hostage and later freed in the November 2023 truce.
Sudthisak Rinthalak
A Thai farm worker employed at Kibbutz Be’eri since 2017, Rinthalak was among 31 Thai citizens kidnapped on October 7 — the largest foreign group held by militants. While most were released in earlier ceasefires, he remains missing. Thailand’s foreign ministry says 46 of its nationals have been killed in the conflict.
Lior Rudaeff, 61
Born in Argentina and raised at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, Rudaeff spent over four decades as a volunteer ambulance driver and served on the kibbutz emergency team. He was killed while confronting militants on October 7, and his body was taken to Gaza. He leaves behind four children and three grandchildren.
