The Israeli authorities announced on Sunday (19) that they had identified the remains of Ronen Engel, one of the two hostages handed over on Saturday (18) by the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas.
The Israeli authorities announced on Sunday (19) that they had identified the remains of Ronen Engel, one of the two hostages handed over on Saturday (18) by the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas.
The Israeli military said it had “informed the family of hostage Ronen Engel” of the return of his remains to Israel, a claim confirmed in a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.
In the note, Israel reiterated that it will make “no deal” and will spare no efforts until all dead hostages held in the Gaza Strip are repatriated.
Ronen Engel, 54, a resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz (southern Israel, near the Gaza Strip), was kidnapped from his home and killed on 7 October 2023, when Hamas commandos launched an attack on Israeli territory. His body was transported to Gaza and his death was announced by Israel on December 1, 2023.
His wife, Karina, and two daughters, Yuval and Mika, were also kidnapped on the same day and released during the first ceasefire agreement with Hamas in November 2023, after 52 days in captivity.
Two bodies, including Engel’s, were handed over by the International Red Cross to Israeli security forces in Gaza on Saturday night before being transferred to a forensic center for identification.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, which came into force on October 10 after two years of war that devastated the Gaza Strip, Hamas was supposed to hand over all hostages – living and dead – that it still had in its possession by October 13.
The Palestinian Islamic movement released the last 20 hostages alive on schedule, but returned only 12 of the 28 bodies it had in custody.
Ceasefire threat
This Sunday, Hamas rejected a statement released on Saturday by the US State Department, which said there was “credible information” that the Palestinian group was about to violate the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
“Should Hamas continue this attack, steps will be taken to protect the people of Gaza and preserve the integrity of the ceasefire,” the US State Department said in a statement.
Hamas and Israel agreed last week to a phased peace deal, brokered by the United States, under which the Palestinian group must, among other demands, release hostages, disarm and cede power in the Gaza Strip.
With AFP
Source: Terra

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