The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has informed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that it has retrieved and transferred the bodies of two Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The remains of Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, and Tamir Adar, 38, were handed over to Israeli forces last night following coordination between the Red Cross and relevant military channels.

According to the IDF, the families of the two victims have been formally notified after forensic experts successfully identified their bodies. Both men were residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities during Hamas’s large-scale assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Zalmanowicz, a Holocaust survivor and longtime kibbutz member, was abducted alive by Hamas militants during the October 7 attack. Intelligence reports later confirmed that he was murdered in captivity on November 17, 2023.

Adar, who served as deputy security coordinator at Nir Oz, was killed while defending his community during the same assault. His body was then taken into Gaza by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a faction aligned with Hamas.

The return of their remains marks another somber chapter in Israel’s ongoing efforts to recover hostages and victims taken during the 2023 Hamas attacks. The IDF expressed its gratitude to the Red Cross for facilitating the transfer, while reiterating its commitment to bringing home all remaining hostages—whether alive or deceased.

Israeli officials continue to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to secure the release and recovery of hostages still held in Gaza. The government maintains that hostage recovery remains a top national priority, even as fighting persists across multiple fronts in the region.