Israel received a coffin Wednesday that officials say may contain the remains of one of the two people still believed to have been killed and taken into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. The Israel Defense Forces said troops escorted the transfer to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, where identification procedures are under way, according to local reports.
The International Committee of the Red Cross delivered the coffin to Israeli authorities, who said the remains will be examined and compared with existing records and DNA samples. The return of remains carries high emotional and legal stakes for families and for government efforts to document the fate of those seized during the initial attacks.
Background
Israeli officials continue to list two people as deceased and believed to be held in Gaza: Ran Gvili, an Israel police officer reported killed near Kibbutz Alumim, and Sudthisak Rinthalak, a 43-year-old Thai agricultural worker who was in Israel for employment. Both were reported taken into Gaza during the Oct. 7 assault, which killed hundreds of Israelis and resulted in the seizure of roughly two hundred to three hundred hostages, many of whom have since been released or recovered.
Families and advocacy groups have pressed for returns and clear documentation since the attacks. Relatives and legal representatives view the recovery of remains as essential to establishing the facts of each death, enabling religious burial rites and pursuing any legal or compensation claims. The handling of remains also figures in public debates over government performance in accounting for missing citizens and the use of diplomatic and military means to secure returns.
For broader coverage of the conflict and its humanitarian consequences, see our Middle East Coverage.
Details From Officials and Records
The IDF said the coffin crossed the border under military escort and was transported directly to the Abu Kabir institute, Israel’s central forensic laboratory. Officials said forensic teams will run DNA testing, including mitochondrial and nuclear DNA comparisons, and will match findings against samples already on file before notifying families of results.
Authorities previously received remains that were tested and determined not to belong to either Gvili or Rinthalak. A senior Red Cross official described the earlier handover as including small fragments of remains; Israeli testing showed those fragments did not match the two men, officials said. Those results raised concerns among families and investigators about chain of custody and the condition of material transferred in conflict settings.
- The Red Cross coordinated the transfer to Israel, the agency and military said.
- The forensic institute will compare samples with DNA on file and notify families of results.
- Military and health authorities said they are maintaining the chain of custody during the identification process.
Reactions and Next Steps
Family members of the missing and deceased have made public appeals for the return of loved ones and have followed each development closely. Gvili’s family has publicly expressed concern that he might be left behind, while Rinthalak’s relatives have sought a swift return to Thailand if identification confirms his death.
Officials said they will provide results after forensic analysis is complete. The timeline for confirming identity was not immediately specified, with authorities noting that DNA testing can take days to weeks depending on the condition of remains, sample quality and laboratory workload. Additional analysis, such as anthropological or dental comparisons, may be used if DNA quality is low.
Government agencies involved in the case said they are coordinating with humanitarian intermediaries on further transfers and family notifications. The returned remains will be documented and entered into official records as part of ongoing efforts to account for victims of the Oct. 7 attacks and to support any future legal or diplomatic steps.
Forensic and Legal Considerations
Forensic identification in conflict settings poses technical and legal challenges. Maintaining an unbroken chain of custody from the point of transfer through analysis is central to ensuring that findings are legally defensible and can be used in court or in official death certificates. Neutral intermediaries such as the Red Cross are typically relied upon to reduce questions about tampering or contamination during transit.
Religious rites and national laws also shape the handling of remains. In Israel, families often seek rapid burial according to Jewish law, while foreign nationals’ repatriation requires coordination with their home countries. If identification confirms a Thai national, Israeli authorities will coordinate with Thai officials and the family to arrange repatriation and any consular processes.
Beyond immediate identification, recovered remains can affect broader negotiations. The return of bodies has in some past conflicts been part of prisoner exchanges, reconciliation measures or legal investigations into alleged crimes. How authorities document and present forensic results can influence diplomatic leverage and public pressure on negotiators and policymakers.
Analysis
The handover highlights governance and rule-of-law issues tied to armed conflict and hostage situations. Forensic work is central to establishing legally defensible conclusions about deaths, and it serves both humanitarian and accountability purposes. Accurate identification helps families pursue legal claims, perform religious burials and make diplomatic requests, and it can factor into future negotiations over prisoners or remains.
Operationally, transfers of remains through neutral intermediaries raise questions about evidence integrity and chain of custody. Authorities face a tradeoff between moving quickly to provide answers to grieving families and ensuring that testing meets forensic standards that will withstand scrutiny. Clear, transparent procedures and timely communication with families and foreign governments are crucial to maintaining public trust.
At the policy level, the episode may intensify debate about the role of international organizations in mediation, the security arrangements at the border during such transfers and the resources governments allocate to forensic capacities. Pending test results are likely to shape public and diplomatic pressure on officials to prioritize both identification and broader efforts to account for all missing persons from the Oct. 7 violence.
