IDF: Bodies of hostages returned by Hamas confirmed as Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi and 2 others

By Emanuel Fabian

The bodies of the four hostages Hamas returned to Israel last night have been identified by forensic experts, and their families have been notified, the military says.

The IDF says its representatives notified the families of Guy Illouz, 26, Nepal national Bipin Joshi, 23, and two other hostages whose names will be published later, that their bodies were returned.

Hamas yesterday said it had also returned the bodies of Yossi Sharabi and IDF officer Cpt. Daniel Perez.

According to the military, citing intelligence information, Illouz was wounded and kidnapped alive by Hamas terrorists near the Tel Gama area on the Gaza border, after fleeing the Nova party near Re’im on the morning of October 7, 2023.

Illouz died of his wounds during his captivity in Gaza after not receiving medical treatment, the IDF says.

Joshi, a Nepali agricultural student whose death had not been formally confirmed by Israel until now, was abducted from a bomb shelter at Kibbutz Alumim.

The IDF says it assesses that he was murdered in captivity during the first months of the war.

Final conclusions will be determined once the Abu Kabir forensic institute completes examinations into the circumstances of their deaths, the IDF adds.

The military again repeats that “Hamas is required to abide by the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the bodies,” after the terror group returned only the bodies of four of the 28 dead hostages yesterday.