The Israeli military has identified the 10th dead hostage handed over by Hamas since the Gaza ceasefire went into effect as 75-year-old Eliyahu Margalit, also known as Churchill.
According to Israeli authorities, Margalit was killed during Hamas’ surprise October 7 attack on Israel and his body taken to Gaza.
Why it Matters
The identification of Margalit as the 10th deceased Israeli hostage returned from Gaza underscores the ongoing complexities in implementing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The dispute over the repatriation of hostages’ remains continues to strain relations, impacts public sentiment in Israel, and complicates broader efforts to stabilize Gaza in the aftermath of prolonged conflict. It also highlight the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the challenging logistics of post-war recovery.
What To Know
Israel’s military has confirmed that the remains handed over by the Red Cross in Gaza and returned to Israel have been identified as those of Margalit, who was killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Margalit’s body was seized from Kibbutz Nir Oz and taken into Gaza. His death was first announced in December 2023, one month after his daughter, Nili Margalit, was released in a temporary truce.
The remains were delivered to Israeli authorities by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which said it took “all possible measures to ensure the deceased are managed with respect” as Israeli forensic teams completed identification in Tel Aviv.
Eighteen more hostages, believed deceased, still have not been repatriated.
Under the terms of the recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, Hamas was obligated to make best efforts to return all deceased hostages. The ceasefire agreement also stipulated Israeli releases of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for hostages and the restoration of humanitarian aid. While the full text of the deal has not been made public, according to the BBC, leaked versions indicate that it allows for some hostages’ remains to remain temporarily unrecoverable because of conditions in Gaza
Meanwhile, violence persists, as illustrated by recent reports from Gaza’s Civil Defense Service that 11 civilians were killed when Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle, raising further concerns about ongoing ceasefire violations and the fragility of the current truce.
On Thursday President Donald Trump expressed anger on his Truth Social website following reports Hamas had executed Palestinians it accused of collaborating with Israel, saying if the group “continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.”
What People Are Saying
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing the families of abductees, described Margalit as “a cowboy at heart,” who managed a cattle ranch and horse stables for many years. The group stated that the repatriation process is “far from resolved” while 18 bodies remain unrecovered.
Ruby Chen, father of Israeli-American hostage Itay Chen, said: “It’s human to want to move on and have a clean slate, to go back and being happy or living a normal life—and [the families of the hostages] are now in conflict with that. But we had a deal for 48 hostages. We have 29. I don’t see that as the narrative that we want to keep and say 29 of the 48 came out.”
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher commented: “The Gaza Strip is now a wasteland, with people picking through the rubble for bodies and trying to find their homes—many of which have been flattened. We’ve started to do that and we’re having an impact already but being here on the ground, it’s an overwhelming task.”
What Happens Next
The deadlock over the return of the remaining hostages’ bodies is expected to remain a flash point in Israeli domestic politics and in negotiations between parties to the ceasefire. Families of hostages plan to continue public protests, calling for stronger action to secure the return of all abductees.
Further developments in the ceasefire will also depend on humanitarian conditions in Gaza, reconstruction efforts, and the fulfillment of other obligations under the U.S.-brokered agreement. Mediators, including Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, are continuing their efforts to facilitate dialogue and to broker progress on key measures such as reopening border crossings, delivering aid, and establishing future governance structures for Gaza. A Turkish team of specialists remains on standby for Israeli approval to enter Gaza and assist with the recovery of human remains.
