Health minister: Identification of hostages’ bodies may take time, it’s important to establish cause of death

Health Minister Uriel Buso says that the identification of the bodies of four hostages to be returned by Hamas tomorrow could take some time, emphasizing the need to establish the causes of death if possible.

“I visited the Institute of Forensic Medicine to see the preparation for the return of the fallen,” the minister tells Walla. “The professionals here have been prepared to quickly receive them, so that identification can be carried out as promptly as possible.”

The minister emphasizes that the identification process may not be immediate, depending on the condition of the bodies.

“The process can take from between a short time to a very long time, as we do not have accurate information about the condition of those killed,” he says.

“Therefore, we need to be patient. The most important thing is that we receive a clear identification, that we can ascertain the cause of death as much as possible, and that we bring them for burial in the Israel,” Buso says.

Hamas said yesterday that it will transfer the bodies of Shiri Silberman Bibas and her two young children Ariel and Kfir to Israel tomorrow, along with the body of a fourth hostage. The Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed that four dead hostages will be released, but did not name them.

Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas (Courtesy)