Israel receives coffin believed to contain body of one of the two remaining deceased hostages

On Wednesday, Israel received a coffin that is thought to contain the body of one of the two remaining hostages who died in Gaza. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the coffin was escorted by soldiers across the border into Israel and is now being transported to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures.

The remains were handed over by the Red Cross and may belong to either Ran Gvili or Sudthisak Rinthalak. Both individuals were taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks in Gaza and have not yet been returned.

Ran Gvili, a police officer in a counter-terror unit, was scheduled for shoulder surgery on the day of the attacks but chose to fight to protect others. He was killed near Kibbutz Alumim, and his body was subsequently held in Gaza for nearly 790 days. His mother, Talik Gvili, expressed her anguish over the remaining hostages in an op-ed, recalling the collective support among families and the lingering fear of not seeing her son returned home.

Sudthisak Rinthalak, a 43-year-old Thai national, was working in Israel to support his family in Thailand when he was killed. His mother, On Rinthalak, described their last conversation before October 7, 2023, in which he planned to save more money before returning home permanently. She has been awaiting the return of his body ever since.

Earlier this week, Israel received other remains that were tested and confirmed not to belong to either Gvili or Rinthalak. The Red Cross noted that these remains consisted of small body fragments.

Families of the deceased have been holding rallies at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, demanding the immediate return of the bodies and drawing attention to the plight of the remaining hostages.

Author: Riley Thompson