Israeli authorities announced on Thursday that militants returned the body of one of the last four people taken captive in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the Gaza war. The returned remains were identified as those of Meny Godard, abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel; his wife, Ayelet, was killed in the same assault. Palestinian armed groups including the armed wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad said the body was recovered in southern Gaza. The exchange comes amid a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on Oct. 10 and has already led to a series of remains and hostage returns.
- One set of remains identified as Meny Godard was handed over on Thursday; Godard was taken from Kibbutz Be’eri and his wife Ayelet was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.
- Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, remains of 25 hostages have been returned to Israel; three hostages remain unreturned in Gaza.
- Under the ceasefire terms, Israel has released 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage remains returned; Gaza Health Ministry reports 315 Palestinian remains received so far.
- Hamas returned 20 living hostages to Israel on Oct. 13 as part of the initial phase of the agreement.
- The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 people taken hostage; Israel’s subsequent offensive has, by Gaza Health Ministry counts, killed more than 69,100 Palestinians in Gaza.
- Both sides accuse the other of violating terms: Israel alleges some returns were partial or staged; Hamas cites widespread destruction that complicates recovery efforts.
Background
The conflict flared on Oct. 7, 2023, when a large-scale attack by Hamas-led militants struck southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and seizing 251 civilians and soldiers as hostages. Israel responded with a major military campaign in Gaza that has inflicted heavy civilian and infrastructure losses and produced international concern. Months of fighting, large-scale destruction and displacement in Gaza have complicated efforts by both sides to account for the dead and missing.
After international mediation, a temporary ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2023, and the initial agreement included phased exchanges: the return of living hostages, the handover of remains, and parallel releases of Palestinian bodies by Israel. The first phase was intended to create space for further arrangements, including international stabilization efforts and political steps toward governance in Gaza.
Main Event
On Thursday Israeli officials said militants delivered the remains of Meny Godard. Kibbutz Be’eri — where Godard lived and worked, including time at the kibbutz printing press — confirmed his identity and noted his past as a professional soccer player and a veteran who served in the 1973 Mideast War. Local sources in Be’eri also said his wife, Ayelet, was killed during the Oct. 7 assault.
The armed wings of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated the remains were recovered in southern Gaza, where much of the fiercest fighting and destruction occurred. Israeli authorities and the groups involved have repeatedly differed in accounts of how and where remains were found, with Israeli officials sometimes disputing the provenance of returned fragments.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, exchanges of remains and prisoners have proceeded in a staged manner: Hamas delivered 20 living hostages on Oct. 13, and subsequent handovers have focused on deceased hostages’ remains. Israel has implemented a reciprocal process of releasing Palestinian bodies — described by Israeli officials as 15 bodies per returned hostage set of remains — which Gaza’s Health Ministry counts and publishes.
Analysis & Implications
The return of a named remains narrows the immediate humanitarian accounting task: with 25 sets of remains already returned since Oct. 10 and three hostages still listed as in Gaza, both sides approach the end of the deal’s initial phase. Accurate identification and proper burial are priorities for families and communities traumatized by the Oct. 7 attack and the ensuing months of war.
Operationally, recovery and identification are being hampered by Gaza’s devastated infrastructure. Gaza Health Ministry officials say DNA-testing capacity is limited, slowing confirmations; Israel has at times contested identifications and alleged partial returns. Those technical obstacles prolong uncertainty for families and increase political friction between mediators and the parties.
Politically, the exchanges underpin the U.S.-brokered 20-point roadmap that envisions a broader stabilization package: international security arrangements, a technocratic Palestinian government and disarmament of militant groups are proposed next steps. The success of remains and hostage returns will be measured by whether they can build enough trust to enable those more sensitive political and security measures.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Count |
|---|---|
| People killed in Oct. 7 attack (approx.) | 1,200 |
| People taken hostage on Oct. 7 | 251 |
| Palestinians killed in Gaza (Gaza Health Ministry) | more than 69,100 |
| Hostage remains returned since Oct. 10 | 25 |
| Hostage remains still in Gaza | 3 |
| Palestinian remains received (Gaza Health Ministry) | 315 |
The table summarizes the central figures cited by Israeli authorities and Gaza’s Health Ministry. Differences in counting methodologies and the chaotic conditions on the ground mean comparisons should be treated cautiously; casualty tallies and the provenance of remains are often disputed by the parties and by independent monitors.
Reactions & Quotes
Israeli officials framed the handover as a necessary step toward concluding the first phase of the ceasefire, emphasizing continued pressure to recover all remaining hostages and their remains.
“Militants have handed over the body of one of the last four remaining hostages,”
Israeli government statement (reported)
Hamas and allied militants emphasized the practical obstacles to recovery in Gaza, pointing to the scale of destruction and restricted movement as complicating factors in locating and identifying remains.
“Recovering bodies is complicated by the widespread devastation in Gaza,”
Hamas armed wing (reported)
Families and community sources in Kibbutz Be’eri reacted to the identification of Meny Godard, expressing grief and noting his roles in the community and prior military service.
“We are mourning a member of our community who served both in sport and in uniform,”
Kibbutz Be’eri representative (reported)
Unconfirmed
- Specific chain-of-custody details for the newly returned remains — including precise recovery location and whether remains were found intact or in fragments — remain unclear and have not been independently verified.
- Claims by Israeli officials that some prior returns contained only partial remains or were staged are reported by Israeli sources but lack independent forensic confirmation in all cited cases.
- Exact identification methods used and the timeframe for DNA confirmation by Gaza or Israeli laboratories are not fully disclosed and vary by case.
Bottom Line
The return of Meny Godard’s remains reduces the list of unreturned hostages to three and represents a tangible, if painful, step in the ceasefire’s first phase. The exchanges underline the humanitarian priority of accounting for the dead and missing even as political and security talks remain fragile.
Persistent obstacles — damaged infrastructure, limited forensic capacity and mutual accusations of bad faith — mean the process will likely continue to be slow and contested. Whether the returns translate into broader confidence needed for the next elements of the U.S.-brokered plan will depend on both sides sustaining cooperation and on international actors providing technical and diplomatic support.