Israel Confirms Return of Soldier Lior Rodaif's Body

Jerusalem, November 8, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA – Israeli authorities confirmed that the body recently handed over by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group corresponds to Sergeant Major Lior Rodaif, an Israeli-Argentine citizen who was kidnapped and killed during the October 7, 2023 attacks. To date, 22 of the 28 bodies have been returned, while the Israeli government has released nearly 2,000 detainees and handed over 285 Palestinian bodies. The identification was carried out by the National Forensic Medicine Center, which concluded the identification process and officially notified the soldier's family. Rodaif, 61, a former member of the Nir Yitzhak readiness squadron, fell in combat defending the kibutz on the morning of the massive attack perpetrated by Hamas and its allies. The agreement provides for the release of surviving hostages and the return of the bodies of those who died in captivity, in exchange for the handover of Palestinian prisoners and the recovery of Palestinian bodies held by Israel. The event rekindled expectations about the continuation of the negotiation process, driven by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, which seeks to guarantee the return of hostages and the stabilization of the coastal enclave. From the White House, former President Donald Trump —the architect of the ongoing peace plan— announced that an international stabilization force will be deployed “very soon” in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the soldier was declared dead on May 7, 2024, and his wife, four children, three grandchildren, his father, and his brothers participated in the identification ceremony. In an official statement, the Israeli Army stated that “the IDF shares the family's pain and continues to dedicate all its efforts to the return of the kidnapped dead.” According to the announcement, this mission will include contingents from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The return of his body marks another step in the long and painful process of recovering the captives, but also reminds of the persistence of a conflict that, more than a year later, still lacks a definitive solution. The announcement generated repercussions in the Middle East and reopened the debate on the scope and objectives of the intervention, while Israel insists it will not cease its operations until it ensures the return of all hostages. The story of Lior Rodaif, who combined his Israeli identity with his Argentine roots, became a symbol of the victims of the October 7 attack and of the families that are still awaiting answers. The text insisted that Hamas and Islamic Jihad must fulfill their part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all deceased captives so that they receive a dignified burial. The return of Rodaif's remains represents a new advance in the application of the humanitarian pact reached under the auspices of the United States and allied Arab countries. His body was kidnapped and held in the Gaza Strip for over a year, until it was returned within the framework of a humanitarian exchange agreement promoted by international mediators. The International Red Cross confirmed that the transfer of the body was carried out under humanitarian supervision and that the delivery was coordinated between Palestinian militias and Israeli forces deployed on the eastern border of the Strip. The recognition of Rodaif's remains occurred in a context of relative calm following the entry into force of the ceasefire agreed on October 10, which remains fragile due to sporadic clashes in northern Gaza.