The Israeli government has confirmed the identities of two deceased hostages whose bodies were returned by Hamas via the Red Cross in Gaza. Forensic tests identified the remains as belonging to Amiram Cooper, aged 84, and Sahar Baruch, aged 25.
In a statement, Israel’s prime minister’s office said the government “shares in the deep sorrow of the Cooper and Baruch families and all the families of the fallen hostages.” The confirmation came amid ongoing calls from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum for Hamas to return all remaining deceased hostages in line with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement.
Tragic Details of the Hostages’ Fate
Amiram Cooper was abducted with his wife, Nurit, from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war. Nurit was released after 17 days, but Amiram remained in captivity. The Israeli military believes he was murdered in February 2024 while held in Khan Younis, though Hamas claimed he was killed by an Israeli airstrike.
Sahar Baruch, kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, was also murdered in captivity. His brother, Edan, and grandmother were killed during the same attack. Israel had previously said Baruch died during a failed rescue mission, but new forensic results confirmed his death occurred on December 8, 2023.
Ceasefire Violations and Rising Tensions
The handover of the hostages’ bodies comes amid renewed accusations that Hamas violated the ceasefire deal. Earlier this week, Israel accused the group of handing over human remains that did not belong to one of the 13 deceased hostages still believed to be in Gaza. Forensic tests identified those remains as belonging to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been recovered in 2023.
Israel also released drone footage showing Hamas members staging a body recovery in Gaza City before presenting it to the Red Cross, which later condemned the act as “unacceptable.” Hamas denied the allegations, calling them “fabricated pretexts” aimed at justifying new Israeli attacks.
Hours later, Israel accused Hamas of another violation after an Israeli soldier was killed in southern Gaza. In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a wave of air strikes, killing more than 100 Palestinians, including dozens of children and women, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Humanitarian and Political Fallout
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas agreed to return all 20 living and 28 dead hostages within 72 hours. So far, Israel has exchanged 195 Palestinian bodies for 15 Israeli and 2 foreign hostages’ remains. However, 11 deceased hostages, including nine Israelis, one Tanzanian, and one Thai, remain in Gaza.
Despite the mounting death toll and fragile truce, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that “nothing will jeopardize the ceasefire,” though he maintained that Israel has the right to “hit back” when provoked.
The latest developments underscore the fragility of the ceasefire and the emotional toll on the families of those still missing. As one spokesperson for the families’ forum said, “The hostages have no time. We must bring them all home, now.”
