News Report:
Israel has confirmed that the remains transferred from Hamas on Wednesday belong to Thai agricultural worker Sudthisak Rinthalak, the Israeli prime minister’s office said on Thursday. Rinthalak was among the foreign laborers abducted during the conflict and became one of the latest hostages to be identified.
However, the body of Israeli police officer Ran Gvili, the last of both living and deceased hostages still held in Gaza, has not yet been returned. Israeli officials said his remains remain in Hamas custody.
The return of all hostages’ bodies is a key condition in the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, aimed at ending the two-year-long war. Officials in Washington have emphasized that the completion of body transfers is essential before moving forward with the broader elements of the agreement.
Israeli authorities say they are continuing negotiations to secure the transfer of Gvili’s remains, which would formally conclude the first stage of the U.S.-brokered initiative.
