**Israel Identifies Remains of Two More Hostages Returned from Gaza**
Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine on Thursday identified the remains of two hostages returned from Gaza, as officials and families urged Hamas to hand over the bodies of those still held. The identified remains belong to Nova music festivalgoer Inbar Hayman and Sergeant Muhammad al-Atresh, both killed in the fighting on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, igniting the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that Israel remains “determined, committed, and working tirelessly to bring back all our fallen hostages for proper burial in their homeland.”
Since Monday’s exchange, Hamas has returned 10 bodies, nine of which Israel’s military has confirmed as hostages. Israel reported there were 28 hostages in Gaza before the exchange. In return for the release of the hostages, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday.
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**Challenges in Recovering Remains Amid Gaza’s Destruction**
Hamas and the Red Cross have highlighted that recovering the remains has been challenging due to the extensive destruction in Gaza. Hamas has also informed mediators that some bodies are located in areas controlled by Israeli troops, complicating recovery efforts.
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**UN Humanitarian Chief Visits Key Crossing to Boost Aid Deliveries**
On Thursday, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief visited a vital Israel-controlled crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. The route serves as a critical lifeline for transporting food, medicine, tents, and other essential aid to ease hunger, disease, and collapsing sanitation systems in Gaza.
“This route is a vital lifeline for food, medicine, tents, and other lifesaving aid. We want to see it full of trucks, as part of a massive surge of aid following the peace deal,” said U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher via X.
However, Fletcher also cautioned that hopes raised by last week’s ceasefire could fade amid setbacks to aid delivery. The World Food Program described the situation as unpredictable. Fletcher urged Hamas to return the bodies of deceased hostages and called on Israel to honor the agreement by allowing the promised surge of humanitarian aid.
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**Turkey Appoints Special Envoy to Coordinate Gaza Aid**
Turkey has appointed Ambassador Mehmet Gulluoglu as Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid to Palestine, tasked with coordinating humanitarian efforts and ensuring rapid aid delivery to Gaza. Already on the ground, Gulluoglu and his team will assess urgent needs, coordinate with U.N. agencies, support their operations, and liaise with authorities in Egypt and Jordan to manage logistics.
The envoy will also focus on enhancing medical support and oversee the evacuation of patients requiring urgent care.
In addition, Turkey’s emergency response authority, AFAD, has prepared to deploy an 81-person search and rescue team to assist in recovering missing bodies and removing debris, according to Turkish media reports. Turkish officials, however, declined to confirm these reports.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, Turkey has delivered 102,000 tons of aid to Gaza by sea and air. Following the ceasefire, an additional 865-ton shipment was dispatched by sea on October 14.
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**Red Cross Facilitates Transfer of Remains**
Israel received the remains of two more hostages on Wednesday, transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. Following the arrival of the two coffins in Israel, the military cautioned that formal identification was still pending.
“The parties must endeavor to facilitate the return of the remains of the deceased to their families. The ICRC can fulfill its functions as a neutral intermediary only through the cooperation of all actors, and within the framework of the current agreement,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated.
Israeli health and forensic authorities are currently responsible for confirming the identities of the deceased.
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*By Suzan Frazer*
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2025/10/16/the-latest-israel-identifies-remains-of-2-more-hostages/