Lead: The Israeli military has confirmed that a body handed over from Gaza has been identified as Lior Rudaeff, a dual Israeli-Argentinian who was killed while defending the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz during the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led assault. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) said the body was found on Friday in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and later transferred out. The return follows the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire that began on 10 October, during which dozens of live hostages and many bodies were exchanged. Family groups and Israeli officials said the identification brings partial closure but stressed several hostages and bodies remain unreturned.
Key Takeaways
- The Israeli military identified the returned body as 61-year-old Lior Rudaeff, who died on 7 October 2023 defending Nir Yitzhak kibbutz.
- PIJ reported the body was recovered in Khan Younis and handed over as part of returns from Gaza on Friday.
- Under the first phase of the ceasefire that began 10 October, Hamas returned 20 living hostages and 23 of 28 deceased hostages; five deceased remain in Gaza.
- Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza; it also handed over some 300 Palestinian bodies in parallel exchanges.
- The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the return and urged continued efforts to recover the remaining captives and bodies.
- Since the ceasefire began, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reports at least 241 people killed in Israeli operations; it also reports 69,169 total deaths in Gaza since the 7 October assault (figures it provides to the UN).
- The exchanges occurred amid ongoing allegations from both sides that the other breached the ceasefire, and localized fighting has continued.
Background
On 7 October 2023, an attack led by Hamas and allied armed groups struck southern Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The assault prompted a prolonged Israeli military campaign in Gaza, large-scale civilian displacement, and intense international diplomatic activity to secure hostage releases and humanitarian access.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an armed group allied with Hamas and which participated in the 7 October operations, has at times held hostages and, according to Israeli military statements, took some bodies into Gaza after the initial attack. The US-brokered ceasefire framework that began on 10 October created a phased mechanism for exchanging live hostages, deceased captives and Palestinian detainees and for increasing humanitarian aid flows.
Families of hostages and civil society groups such as the Hostages and Missing Families Forum have pressed for the return of the missing and the dead, while Israeli authorities and military spokespeople have repeatedly called for all bodies and surviving captives to be returned. International mediators have maintained that verification, access and security concerns complicate recovery operations in areas with heavy destruction.
Main Event
Israeli military officials said they identified the returned remains as those of 61-year-old Lior Rudaeff, who was killed attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak kibbutz on 7 October 2023. The military statement said identification followed forensic checks on material handed over from Gaza. PIJ said the body had been located in Khan Younis and transferred out on Friday.
The transfer comes within the first phase of the ceasefire arrangement that began on 10 October. Under that phase, Hamas returned 20 living hostages and 23 deceased captives to Israel. Israeli authorities say five deceased hostages remain in Gaza—four Israeli citizens and one Thai national—while Hamas has argued that finding bodies amid rubble and destruction is difficult.
As part of the same deal, Israel freed 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and released 1,718 detainees who had been held in Gaza. Israel also handed over the remains of roughly 300 Palestinians in parallel exchanges, and agreed to allow increased aid flows and partial troop withdrawals in specified areas of Gaza.
Despite the framework, both sides have accused each other of violating terms. Israeli strikes have continued in some areas after the ceasefire was announced, including operations Israel says targeted fighters who attacked its forces on 19 and 28 October; Hamas has denied involvement in at least one of those incidents. The limited hostages-and-bodies exchanges have proceeded amid these episodic clashes.
Analysis & Implications
The identification and handover of Rudaeff’s remains underscore how exchanges under the ceasefire are both humanitarian and political acts. For families, return of bodies allows burial rituals and partial emotional closure; politically, each transfer is framed domestically by both sides as either a concession or a security necessity, affecting public sentiment.
Operational constraints in Gaza—widespread destruction, contested access to rubble-strewn areas, and security risks—significantly impede authorities’ ability to find and recover bodies. Hamas and PIJ have cited these obstacles as reasons for delays in locating some remains; Israeli officials say responsibility for returns lies with armed groups holding territory and information about captive locations.
International mediation has focused on phased, verifiable transfers to build confidence and to facilitate humanitarian relief. Nevertheless, continued skirmishes and mutual accusations of ceasefire breaches threaten to stall further phases. If exchanges slow or collapse, political pressure on mediators and domestic constituencies in Israel and the Palestinian territories could intensify, reducing prospects for larger-scale relief deliveries.
Economically and diplomatically, the partial success of the first phase sets a precedent for future deals, but it also reveals asymmetries: Israel emphasizes security and accountability, while Palestinian groups emphasize humanitarian needs and the effects of prolonged siege and bombardment. How mediators address verification—identifying remains, documenting chains of custody and ensuring safe routes—will determine whether further phases succeed.
| Metric | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| People killed in southern Israel (7 Oct attack) | ~1,200 |
| Hostages taken (7 Oct) | 251 |
| Living hostages returned (phase 1) | 20 |
| Deceased hostages returned (phase 1) | 23 of 28 |
| Palestinian prisoners released by Israel | 250 (held in Israeli jails) + 1,718 detainees from Gaza |
| Palestinian bodies handed over by Israel | ~300 |
| Gaza deaths reported since 7 Oct (Gaza health ministry) | 69,169 |
The table above compiles publicly reported tallies relating to the October 7 assault, hostage counts, and the first phase of exchanges. Numbers come from Israeli military statements and figures circulated by the Gaza health ministry; international agencies note differences in reporting methodologies and verification capacities.
Reactions & Quotes
Family and civil-society groups framed the return as a painful but necessary step toward closure, while reiterating demands to recover all missing people.
“Lior’s return provides some measure of comfort to a family that has lived with agonising uncertainty and doubt for over two years. We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home.”
Hostages and Missing Families Forum (campaign group)
The Israeli military reiterated its commitment to recovering remaining hostages and bodies while noting the operational challenges in Gaza. PIJ confirmed it had found the body in Khan Younis and transferred it as part of the recent returns.
“We have identified the recovered remains as Lior Rudaeff after forensic checks and will continue efforts to locate and repatriate others held in Gaza.”
Israeli military statement (official)
Unconfirmed
- Exact circumstances and timing of how Rudaeff’s body was taken into Gaza remain unclearly documented in public statements.
- Attribution for some post-ceasefire clashes and the deaths of specific soldiers on 19 and 28 October has not been independently verified.
- Precise locations of the five deceased hostages still reported in Gaza and the reasons they have not yet been located are subject to competing claims and lack independent on-the-ground verification.
Bottom Line
The identification and return of Lior Rudaeff’s remains offers limited but meaningful solace to his family and underscores the humanitarian stakes of the ceasefire exchanges. It also highlights how recovery operations are entwined with political negotiations and operational obstacles in a heavily contested battlefield.
While the phase-one transfers demonstrate that negotiated returns are possible, ongoing clashes and mutual accusations of violations threaten future progress. Continued international mediation, clear verification mechanisms and secure humanitarian access will be essential if further transfers—and broader relief efforts—are to proceed.
Sources
- BBC News (news report summarising military and group statements)
- Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (official military statements)
- UN OCHA – occupied Palestinian territory (UN humanitarian reporting and context)