JERUSALEM: Since the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza began Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 26 hostages. But the return of the last two hostages under the agreement’s terms is progressing slowly.
Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are buried under rubble left by Israel’s two-year offensive in Gaza. Israel has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.
In the most recent release, Palestinian militants returned the remains of Dror Or, who was killed by the militants in Kibbutz Be’eri in southern Israel and abducted to Gaza. His wife, Yonat, was killed during the attack and his two children, Noam and Alma, were abducted and returned to Israel in a November 2023 hostage deal.
In return, Israel has released the bodies of 330 Palestinians back to Gaza. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify the bodies without access to DNA kits.
Only 97 have been identified, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.
Israel has not provided details on their identities, and it is unclear if they were people killed in Israel during the Oct. 7 attack, Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken from Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.
Here’s a look at the hostages whose remains have not been returned.
Ran Gvili, 24
Ran Gvili, who served in an elite police unit, was recovering from a broken shoulder he sustained in a motorcycle accident but rushed to assist fellow officers on Oct. 7. After helping people escape from the Nova music festival, he was killed fighting at another location and his body was taken to Gaza. The military confirmed his death four months later. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
Sudthisak Rinthalak
Sudthisak Rinthalak was an agricultural worker from Thailand who had been employed at Kibbutz Be’eri. According to media reports, Sudthisak was divorced and had been working in Israel since 2017. A total of 31 workers from Thailand were abducted on Oct. 7, the largest group of foreigners to be held in captivity. Most of them were released in the first and second ceasefires. The Thai Foreign Ministry has said in addition to the hostages, 46 Thais have been killed during the war.
What to know about the 2 hostages whose remains are still in Gaza
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What to know about the 2 hostages whose remains are still in Gaza
- Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are buried under rubble
Morocco deploys army to help evacuate thousands after floods
- More than 20,000 people had been moved to shelter and camps by Saturday
- Authorities set up sandbags and temporary barriers in flood-prone districts as waters began to recede
RABAT: Morocco has deployed army rescue units to help with the evacuation of thousands of people after floods triggered by torrential rains and rising river levels hit parts of the country’s northwest, state TV reported on Saturday.
Weeks of heavy rainfall, combined with water releases from a nearly full dam nearby, increased water levels in the Loukous River and flooded several neighborhoods in the city of Ksar Kbir, about 190 km (118 miles) north of the capital Rabat, a national flood follow-up committee said.
More than 20,000 people had been moved to shelter and camps by Saturday, official media reported.
Authorities set up sandbags and temporary barriers in flood-prone districts as waters began to recede.
Schools in Ksar Kbir have been ordered to remain closed until February 7 as a precaution.
In the nearby province of Sidi Kacem, the Sebou River’s rising levels prompted evacuations from several villages as authorities raised vigilance levels.
The abundant rainfall ended a seven-year drought that drove the country to invest heavily in desalination plants.
The average dam-filling rate has risen to 60 percent, with several major reservoirs reaching full capacity, according to official data.
Last month, 37 people were killed in flash floods in the Atlantic coastal city of Safi, south of Rabat.
