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Israel confirms recovery of hostage Lior Rudaeff's body from Gaza
The Israeli military announced on Saturday that the body of 61-year-old Lior Rudaeff, an Israeli-Argentinian dual citizen, has been identified after being returned from Gaza. Rudaeff was killed while defending the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz during Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, with his remains later taken to Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant group.
Discovery and return under ceasefire terms
PIJ stated the body was found on Friday in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. The recovery aligns with the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement initiated on 10 October, under which Hamas has now returned all 20 living hostages and 23 of the 28 deceased hostages it held. Four of the five remaining deceased hostages in Gaza are Israeli, while one is Thai.
Israel has repeatedly criticized Hamas for delays in returning all bodies, citing logistical challenges amid widespread destruction. Hamas has countered that locating remains under rubble complicates recovery efforts.
Reactions and broader hostage exchange
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group, welcomed Rudaeff's return, calling it "some measure of comfort" for his family after over two years of uncertainty. "We will not rest until the last hostage is brought home," the group stated.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. In exchange, Hamas returned the bodies of 19 Israeli hostages and three foreign nationals-a Thai, a Nepalese, and a Tanzanian-alongside 285 Palestinian bodies held by Israel.
Ceasefire strains and ongoing violence
The agreement also included provisions for increased aid to Gaza, a partial Israeli troop withdrawal, and a halt to fighting. However, tensions have escalated, with both sides accusing each other of violations. Israel conducted airstrikes following allegations that Hamas fighters killed two Israeli soldiers on 19 October and another on 28 October. Hamas denied involvement in the latter incident and claimed no knowledge of clashes related to the first.
Since the ceasefire began, the Hamas-run health ministry-whose casualty figures are considered reliable by the UN-reports that Israeli military operations have killed at least 241 people in Gaza.
Background: The 7 October attack and aftermath
The current conflict stems from Hamas's 7 October 2023 assault, during which militants killed approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 hostages. All but one of the deceased hostages still in Gaza were taken during that attack. Gaza's health ministry states that Israeli retaliatory strikes have since killed at least 68,875 people.
