Israeli officials now say that what Hamas handed to the Red Cross in Gaza was not the body of an Israeli hostage, but forensic “findings” that Israel specifically requested be examined. That sharply undercuts earlier claims from Al Jazeera and others that a hostage’s body had been returned.

According to Israeli sources, the transfer was coordinated as part of ongoing efforts to clarify the fate of several hostages and missing people in Gaza. The materials are being moved for expert analysis inside Israel, where forensic teams will try to determine whether they belong to any of the murdered and abducted Israelis. Until that work is complete, officials are stressing that there is no confirmed new body return.

The episode shows how quickly Hamas-linked messaging can shape the narrative: a routine forensic handover gets spun as a “body return,” creating false hope, media headlines, and pressure on Israel before basic facts are known. It also highlights the ugly reality that Hamas still controls crucial information about hostages and remains, drip-feeding fragments to maximize leverage.