JNS
"We identified the body of Oded, who was murdered in captivity more than a year ago," chief pathologist Dr. Chen Kugel confirmed.
One of the bodies handed over by Hamas on Thursday morning has been identified as belonging to hostage Oded Lifshitz, his family said following identification at the National Center of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir in Tel Aviv.
"We received with deep sorrow the official and bitter news confirming the identification of our beloved Oded's body," Lifshitz's relatives said in a statement shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of many of the captives held in the Gaza Strip.
"Five hundred three agonizing days of uncertainty have come to an end. We had hoped and prayed so much for a different outcome. Now we can mourn the husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather who has been missing from us since October 7, [2023]," the bereaved family continued.
"Our family's healing process will begin now and will not end until the last hostage is returned," concluded the statement.
Dr. Chen Kugel, chief pathologist of the Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine, told reporters on Thursday night that he had been "working since this morning to provide a definitive answer to the families.
"We share in the deep sorrow of the Lifshitz family. Today, 503 days after the October 7th massacre, we identified the body of Oded, who was murdered in captivity more than a year ago," confirmed Kugel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office shortly after the identification of Lifshitz's body that the Israeli "was murdered in captivity by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.
"Oded Lifshitz was 83 at the time of his death. We share in the family's sorrow at this difficult hour. May his memory be blessed," he said.
In an earlier statement, Netanyahu stressed that "the four coffins of our loved ones oblige us more than ever to promise, to swear, that what happened on October 7 will never happen again.
"The blood of our loved ones cries out to us from the ground. It obliges us to deal with the vile murderers—and we will deal with them," he said. "We will return all of our hostages, destroy the murderers, eliminate Hamas and together—with God's help—we will secure our future.
"O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs; O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!," added the longtime Israeli leader, citing Psalm 94.
In accordance with the ceasefire deal with Hamas, the bodies of four hostages were returned to the Jewish state on Thursday morning.
The other remains handed over by the Palestinian terror organization were said to be those of Shiri Bibas (32 when captured on Oct. 7, 2023) and her sons, Ariel (4 when taken) and Kfir (9 months old when taken).
The four bodies were transferred to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross following a propaganda ceremony in Gaza's south attended by members of Hamas's "military wing," Gaza civilians and terrorists released under the auspices of previous prisoner swaps.
The Red Cross handed the coffins to Israel Defense Forces troops and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) officers inside Gaza. A short military ceremony was conducted by the Israel Defense Forces' chief rabbi before the bodies were escorted to Tel Aviv for identification.
Jerusalem filed a complaint with mediators and the Red Cross after the Hamas stage show, saying that it breached the terms of their agreement.
"Hamas is not a resistance movement. Hamas is a death cult that murders, that tortures and parades dead bodies," Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told journalists on Thursday afternoon.
There are now 69 hostages remaining in Hamas terror captivity in the Strip after 502 days, of whom at least 36 are believed to be deceased.
