Gaza remains not linked to last two captives: Netanyahu's office

• Forensic tests show Gaza remains are not linked to the last two missing captives.
• Only two deceased captives, Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak, have yet to be returned.
• Hamas cites difficulty locating bodies amid war rubble; 'Israel' accuses delays.

'Israel' said on Wednesday that forensic tests have allegedly confirmed the remains retrieved from Gaza the previous day are not connected to the last two captives still missing in the Palestinian territory.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said, “Following the completion of the identification process at the National Center of Forensic Medicine, it was determined that the findings brought yesterday for examination from the Gaza Strip are not linked to any of the fallen hostages.”

On Tuesday, 'Israeli' authorities had received what was believed to be the remains of one of the remaining captives and escorted what they called “the coffin of the fallen hostage” to the forensic center. Netanyahu’s office said these findings had been transferred from Gaza via the Red Cross.

While Hamas has released all living captives under a US-brokered ceasefire with 'Israel', the return of the bodies of deceased captives has been slower. Hamas officials have cited the difficulty of locating remains amid the rubble caused by the war, while 'Israel' has accused the group of delaying the handover.

All but two captives, 'Israeli' Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak, have now been accounted for. A Hamas official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that teams from its armed wing and Islamic Jihad, with Red Cross oversight, have been searching several areas in northern Gaza, particularly Jabalia and Beit Lahia. The official added that “a number of bodies were found” but “there was no confirmation that any of these bodies belong to an Israeli prisoner.”