Israel has formally confirmed the identity of the body returned by Hamas on Thursday as that of Manny Godard, who was 73 years old at the time of his death during the attacks on October 7. The body was collected by Red Cross vehicles shortly after Hamas, in collaboration with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, announced its recovery in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza.
Forensic confirmation of identity
The office of the Israeli Prime Minister stated that forensic testing verified the identity of Godard, who tragically lost his life alongside his wife, Ayelet, during Hamas’s incursion into kibbutz Be’eri on that fateful day. Currently, three of the 28 deceased hostages remain unreturned and are still in Gaza, as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement that plays a critical role in a U.S.-mediated effort to end the conflict in the region.
Hostage return negotiations continue
Under the terms of this ceasefire, Hamas is obliged to return 20 living hostages and 28 deceased ones still in its custody. All living Israeli hostages were released on October 13 in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and the release of 1,718 detainees from Gaza. For every deceased Israeli hostage returned, Israel has agreed to relinquish the remains of 15 Palestinians. However, the absence of DNA testing capabilities in Gaza complicates the identification process.
Hamas initially captured 251 hostages during its deadly assault on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the loss of approximately 1,200 lives. In retaliation, reports indicate that over 69,000 Palestinians have died, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which the United Nations regards as credible.
Among the three bodies remaining in Gaza, two are identified as Israeli and one as Thai. Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally delaying the retrieval of the hostages’ remains; however, Hamas claims it faces difficulties locating them amid the rubble.
This slow progress has hindered the advancement of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, which aims to outline governance in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, the disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza Strip.