The body of the oldest hostage taken by Hamas following its October 7, 2023 attacks was among two deceased hostages returned to Israel from Gaza on Tuesday.
Arye Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar’s remains had been identified and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had informed their families, a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Tuesday night.
Two coffins carrying the bodies of Zalmanovich and Adar crossed the border into Israel earlier on Tuesday and were taken to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for formal identification and to investigate the causes of death.
Hamas has now returned 15 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages outlined in the US-proposed ceasefire agreement, which was signed on October 9.
Zalmanovich was abducted alive from his house at Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel during the October 7 attacks and is thought to have been killed in captivity on November 17, 2023, at the age of 85.
He was the oldest hostage taken by Hamas, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement, describing him as “a tough and modest man who demanded nothing for himself.” The kibbutz said he was one of the founders of the community.
Tamir Adar was an Israeli hostage who was killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and his body taken to Gaza. His remains were returned to Israel on Tuesday. – Hostages and Missing Families Forum
Tamir Adar, also from Kibbutz Nir Oz, died fighting to defend it against Hamas on October 7, 2023, and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said. He was 38 at the time.
“Those close to him describe him as sociable and beloved, a thoughtful and sensitive conversationalist with a keen sense of humor,” the families’ forum said.
“The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Zalmanovich and Adar families, and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the prime minister’s office said.
A grandfather and a family man
Zalmanovich was a father of two, a grandfather of five and “a man of the land,” said a spokesperson for the Nir Oz Kibbutz.
A farmer by occupation, he grew wheat “in the harsh conditions of the Negev” and “agriculture was the center of his life,” the kibbutz said.
As a founding member of the community, Zalmanovich, known as Zalman, “saw the kibbutz as the fulfillment of his life and his home, and the community as his family,” the statement added.
“We will always remember Zalman as an honest and humble worker, an idealist and a farmer at heart and soul,” the kibbutz said.
Adar, a father of two, was described as a “family man, a lover of people and nature, a farmer and an educator by profession,” by the kibbutz spokesperson.
An avid supporter of Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club, Adar was “always surrounded by friends and loved by everyone,” the kibbutz said.
“He was very fond of birds of prey and used to follow them with binoculars while working in the fields and on trips,” it added.
“We will remember Tamir as a dedicated educator, connected to nature and agriculture, a beloved husband, father, son, brother and grandson who is missed by all of us,” the kibbutz said.
Under the Trump administration’s ceasefire agreement, Hamas was supposed to return all the living and deceased hostages within the first 72 hours of the ceasefire going into effect. Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.
Hamas has said “significant efforts and special equipment” are needed to recover the bodies in Gaza. One of the bodies handed over by Hamas under the agreement last week did not belong to an Israeli hostage, according to the Israeli military.
Initial assessments at the time suggested Hamas misidentified the body rather than intentionally sending the wrong one, an Israeli source said.
Hamas hands over the bodies of two more Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross officials on Tuesday, October 21. – Alaa Y. M. Abumohsen/Anadolu/Getty Images
‘Not going to happen overnight’
The latest hostage release comes hours after US Vice President JD Vance touched down in Israel and the Trump administration moves to implement the next phase of its ceasefire plan.
Over the weekend, Israel and Hamas affirmed their commitment to the ceasefire deal after Israel accused Hamas of carrying out an attack that killed two IDF soldiers, prompting waves of airstrikes.
Hamas and the Israeli military have each accused the other of violations.
Vance on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire but declined to put a timeline on the return of all deceased hostages and Hamas’ complete disarmament.
“It is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home to their families, so that they can have a proper burial. Now, that said, this is difficult. This is not going to happen overnight,” Vance said at a press conference in Israel.
The US vice president also said some of the deceased hostages are “buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work to get them.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Aileen Graef, Adrienne Vogt and Dana Karni contributed reporting.
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