site.btaHamas Returns Body of Hostage who Was Bulgarian-Israeli Citizen

Hamas on Thursday returned to Israel the remains of deceased hostage Sahar Baruch, 25, who held dual Israeli and Bulgarian nationality.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) representatives informed Baruch's family that their loved one has been returned to Israel and that his identification has been completed, Israel's Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday evening.

Baruch was abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Be'eri during the October 7, 2023 attack.

According to The Times of Israel, the military has previously said it was unable to determine the cause of Baruch's death and that it was unknown whether he was murdered by Hamas or killed by Israeli fire during a failed hostage rescue attempt on December 8, 2023.

The remains of Baruch and another deceased hostage, identified as Amiram Cooper, were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza, then transported into Israel by troops and taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification, the Israeli military said, quoted by the AP. 

In a statement on October 9, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry named Baruch as one of the two Bulgarian citizens who had been held hostage by Hamas. The other dual national, Matan Angrest, 22, an IDF soldier, was kidnapped on October 7 from his tank near Nahal Oz. He was released on October 13, 2025 and has been reunited with his family.