Hamas returns bodies
Slain Hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch Returned to Israel
Israeli authorities have confirmed the identification of fallen hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch after 755 days in Hamas captivity. The announcement marks the return of their bodies to Israel, while nine Israeli and two foreign soldiers remain in Gaza.
After 755 days in Hamas captivity, the Israeli government announced Thursday that the bodies of the kidnapped hostages Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch have been returned and formally identified. Following this transfer, nine Israeli and two foreign hostages remain in Gaza.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the identifications were completed in coordination with the National Center for Forensic Medicine, the Israel Police, and the Military Rabbinate. Israeli officials informed the families of Cooper and Baruch that their loved ones had been returned to Israel and positively identified.
“The State of Israel shares the profound grief of the Cooper and Baruch families, as well as all families of kidnapped fallen soldiers,” the statement read. “The government and the entire national rescue system remain committed and determined to bring all kidnapped soldiers home for proper burial.”
The statement added that Hamas is required to comply with its commitments to the mediators and return the remaining soldiers as part of the agreement. “We will not compromise, and we will spare no effort until all kidnapped soldiers are returned, every last one,” the statement said.
Remembering Amiram Cooper
Kibbutz Nir Oz marked the return of Cooper, one of the founders of the community, who was kidnapped on October 7 during the Simchat Torah massacre and later killed in captivity. Cooper, 85, was an economist, farmer, poet, and devoted family man, married to Nurit and father to Rotem, Reut, Lotan, and Yisrolik, and grandfather to 11 grandchildren.
A member of the Hashomer Hatzair youth movement, Cooper dedicated his life to the development of the Western Negev and helped establish Kibbutz Nir Oz. During his 65 years in the kibbutz, he served as its economic director and, for 24 years, as chief economist for the settlements of the Ma’on region. Cooper also authored numerous plays, essays, and poetry that reflected his love of nature, agriculture, and kibbutz life.
“Kibbutz Nir Oz will always remember Amiram as a man of people and of words, a pioneering and principled individual, full of initiative and ideas, who loved the kibbutz and its members deeply,” the kibbutz said.