Forensic Medicine

Forensic Institute head explains how slain Gaza hostages identified

In addition to identifying hostages, Institute of Forensic Medicine Director Dr. Chen Kugel spoke about the moment he found himself identifying the body of Hamas terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar.

Doctor Chen Kugel, head of Israel National Center of Forensic Medicine and his colleague, pass through a police cordon as they enter China's ambassador to Israel, Du Wei's house in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, Israel May 17, 2020.
Hostage remains arrive in Israel on October 20, 2025.

Israel sees delay in return of Hadar Goldin's remains as serious, demands immediate return - source

Joshua Loitu Mollel

Tanzanian student Joshua Loitu Mollel identified as hostage returned Wednesday night, PMO confirms

Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi

Israel identifies remains of slain hostages Uriel Baruch, Eitan Levi, and Tamir Nimrodi


Israel confirms reception of remains of Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, Daniel Peretz

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum subsequently responded to the news, stating, “may their memories be a blessing, together with two additional deceased hostages.”

Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Peretz.

Facing the grisly truth: How teeth help identify the victims of Oct. 7 - opinion

'She knows the teeth of every hostage in Gaza.'

DR. ESI SHARON-SAGIE, world expert on identifying the dead by their teeth.

Forensic teams may not be able to identify hostage bodies as decay advances with time, experts warn

Time erases evidence, erases findings, undermines the chances of recovery, and severely damages the ability to provide graves.

 IDF soldiers recover Shiri Bibas's remains on Saturday February 22, 2025.

What happens after sexual assault? A guide to immediate care in Israel

Acute care units for survivors of sexual assault currently operate in 11 hospitals across Israel, providing comprehensive medical, emotional, and forensic care.

 The Lotus Center - acute care room at Kaplan medical center

Forensic analysis exonerates doctor in a 19th century Porto poisoning case

Modern tests find no evidence of toxins that led to the 130-year old conviction of Dr. Urbino de Freitas.

 Forensic analysis exonerates doctor in a 19th century Porto poisoning case. Illustration.

Shiri Bibas was not killed by IDF airstrike, forensic evidence confirms

“We were met with depths of evil and malice that could not be conceived," Dr. Kugel said.

 IDF soldiers recover Shiri Bibas's remains on Saturday February 22, 2025.

Shiri Bibas's remains identified after forensic analysis in Israel

Hamas transferred the remains to the Red Cross in Gaza, which were then brought to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for confirmation.

 Pictures of Shiri Bibas and her children Kfir and Ariel, in Jerusalem, February 20, 2025

'Unspeakably evil': Kfir, Ariel Bibas were brutally murdered in Gaza captivity, not by IAF strike

Though the bodies of the two murdered young children were a DNA match, the body of their mother, Shiri, was not.

A tag is seen with images of Yarden, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas

Three out of five Abu Kabir doctors resign, institute on brink of collapse

The institute's doctors are sometimes required to work day and night, travel from their homes to external sites, and often perform dozens of surgeries a week while dealing with very difficult sights.

View of a sign at the entrance to Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine

Meet the forensic dentist identifying Israel's dead through their teeth

The job of a forensic dentist is never easy, she says. It requires respectful dedication to the dead and their living relatives.

 DR. ESI SHARON- SAGIE: ‘We in Shura keep in mind that we’re doing ‘hessed shel emet.’

How forensic anthropology helps identify victims of the October 7 massacre

Gradually, the staggering scope of the tragedy unfolded, and the Forensic Institute staff realized that the task of identifying the vast number of bodies couldn't be accommodated at Abu Kabir.

View of a sign at the entrance to Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine