Payam Javan: The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that two more bodies of Israeli hostages have been identified after being returned to Israel by the Hamas militant group. The transfer took place on Wednesday night, marking another somber development in the ongoing efforts to recover the remains of those abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

The remains were identified as belonging to 27-year-old Inbar Hayman, the last Israeli woman known to have been held in Gaza, and 39-year-old Master Sgt. Muhammad al-Atarash, an Israeli soldier killed in combat on Oct. 7. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), both individuals had been listed among those missing since the early hours of the assault on southern Israel.

Hayman was kidnapped alive from the Nova music festival, one of the main targets of the Hamas-led onslaught. Her family was informed in December 2023 that she had been murdered while in captivity. Her remains are now among dozens of hostages and victims returned to Israel in the months since the attack, as negotiations and mediation efforts continue under international supervision.

Al-Atarash, a master sergeant in the IDF, was killed in battle while confronting Hamas terrorists before his body was taken into Gaza. The return of both victims’ bodies underscores the ongoing humanitarian and political dimensions of the hostage crisis, as Israel maintains pressure for the recovery of all captives and remains still held in Gaza.