The bodies of two Israeli hostages, 85-year-old Amiram Cooper hy”d and 25-year-old Sahar Baruch hy”d, were returned to Israel by Hamas on Thursday afternoon, military officials confirmed.

Cooper, a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was abducted from his home during the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault and later killed in captivity, according to the IDF, which confirmed his death in June 2024. Baruch, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped the same day and killed during a failed IDF rescue mission in December 2023.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office expressed “deep sorrow” on behalf of the government and people of Israel. “The Israeli government shares in the grief of the Cooper and Baruch families and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the statement read.

Officials emphasized that Israel remains “determined, committed, and working tirelessly” to recover the bodies of the 11 remaining slain hostages still held in Gaza. The statement also urged Hamas to “fulfill its commitments to the mediators and return them as part of the implementation of the agreement.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)