October 1, 2026
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel has completed the identification of the bodies of two more hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Wednesday, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance held high-level meetings in Israel to nudge forward Gaza’s fragile ceasefire.
Authorities identified the deceased hostages as Arie Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar. Their bodies were transported in coffins by the Red Cross and handed over to the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip.
The two were killed in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas terrorists, which triggered the two-year war.
Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, the remains of 15 hostages have been returned to Israel. Another 13 still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over, a key element of the ceasefire agreement.
Meanwhile, the burial of 54 Palestinians is set for Wednesday at a cemetery in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. The bodies were displayed outside Nasser hospital in Khan Younis ahead of burial.
Vance is meeting Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday. He is accompanied by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
On Tuesday, Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner said the ceasefire had exceeded expectations but acknowledged flare-ups of violence in recent days.
Uncertainty remains over the peace plan, including disarming Hamas, the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, and who will govern the territory. Vance said Tuesday officials are brainstorming on the composition of the security force, mentioning Turkey and Indonesia as countries expected to contribute troops.
Britain is also sending a small contingent of military officers to Israel to assist in monitoring the ceasefire.
Israelis were set on Wednesday to bid farewell to a Thai farm worker whose body will be repatriated to his native Thailand later in the day.
Sonthaya Oakkharasri was killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, and his body was held in Gaza until it was returned last weekend.
A statement by the Families' Headquarters for the Return of the Abductees said a gathering will be held at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv to pay last respects to Oakkharasri, calling him a “devoted father and farmer who dreamed of establishing his own farm.”
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