Israel identifies deceased hostage from Gaza following fourth such transfer this week
- - Israel identifies deceased hostage from Gaza following fourth such transfer this week
Tamar Michaelis, Oren Liebermann, CNNNovember 8, 2025 at 1:36 AM
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A Red Cross convoy carrying the body of a person believed to be a deceased hostage handed over by Palestinian militants makes its way toward the border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Friday. - Abdel Kareem Hana/AP
Israel has received remains of one of the last deceased hostages held in Gaza, in the fourth such transfer this week.
On Saturday morning, the Israel Defense Forces said the remains were identified as Command Sergeant Major Lior Rudaeff.
The 61-year-old was killed at Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023. He was the deputy security coordinator for the community’s rapid response team. His remains were held in Gaza throughout the course of the war sparked by that attack.
Hamas transferred the remains to Israel via the Red Cross. The return means the bodies of five deceased hostages remain in Gaza.
Transfers of deceased hostages from Hamas to Israel is one of the key conditions of the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire.
On Sunday, Israel received the bodies of Israeli-American Omer Neutra, as well as those of Asaf Hamami and Oz Daniel. Two days later, Israel received the body of Itay Chen, the last Israeli-American dual citizen whose remains were held in Gaza. And on Wednesday, Hamas transferred the remains of Joshua Loitu Mollel, a Tanzanian agricultural student who was abducted from Kibbutz Nahal Oz on October 7, 2023.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, spoke at Neutra’s funeral in Israel on Friday. “Omer made the ultimate sacrifice we hope no soldier ever has to make, but many have made it nonetheless, in service to a higher cause,” Cooper said. “We express our deepest condolences for the loss of Omer.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has continued to organize rallies in Tel Aviv and elsewhere across Israel calling for the release of the remaining deceased hostages. Eitan Horn, who was recently freed after 738 days in captivity, said in Hostages Square on Saturday, “I cannot begin my journey of healing and recovery as long as I know there are families who are not with me on this journey. We have no future without the return of all the hostages.”
Earlier this week, CNN also reported that Israel believes it has new information about the location of the longest-held remains in Gaza, belonging to Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed in the final days of the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. Goldin’s remains, according to two Israeli sources, are likely held in Rafah in southern Gaza near an area where up to 200 Hamas militants are hiding in underground tunnels in territory occupied by Israeli forces.
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