Body of 'Israeli' captive returned from Gaza identified
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- The captive body returned yesterday by Hamas has been identified as Lior Rudaeff.
- With the return of Lior Rudaeff’s body, five captives’ remains, four 'Israelis' and one foreign national, are still held in Gaza
The body that Hamas returned to 'Israel' on Friday night has been identified by forensic experts as one of the captives taken to Gaza on October 7.
Lior Rudaeff, 61, served as the deputy security coordinator at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak and was a member of its civil defense squad. He was killed on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to Gaza by Palestinian resistance.
With Rudaeff’s return, 23 of the 28 bodies of deceased captives under the ceasefire agreement have now been returned to 'Israel'. Five remain in Gaza: four 'Israelis', Meny Godard, Lt. Hadar Goldin, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, Dror Or, and one foreign national, Sudthisak Rinthalak.
When the ceasefire went into effect on October 10, Hamas held 48 captives in Gaza: 20 alive and 28 deceased. All living captives have since been returned.
'Israel' has previously accused Hamas of delaying the return of deceased captives. Hamas, however, said locating the bodies amid rubble from destroyed buildings has slowed the process. The group has urged mediators and the Red Cross to provide equipment and personnel to assist in recovering the remaining bodies.
