Israel’s military confirmed on Tuesday that it had received the bodies of two more hostages who were being held in Gaza by Hamas. The bodies were handed over to Israeli troops by the Red Cross, which had previously received them from Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the coffins were escorted across the border into Israel and will undergo formal identification in Tel Aviv. This development means Hamas has now transferred the remains of 15 out of the 28 deceased Israeli hostages as part of the initial phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.
In a prior hostage transfer, Hamas had handed over a Palestinian body, attributing the mistake to difficulties in locating bodies amidst the rubble. The IDF has urged the Israeli public to await official identification, which will be communicated to the families first, and stressed Hamas’s obligation to return all deceased hostages.
This news comes amid significant public outcry in Israel over the delay in the return of all deceased hostages. Hamas claims to be attempting this but faces challenges in recovering bodies from the heavily bombed areas of Gaza.
The ceasefire agreement also stipulated that Israel would release 250 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage’s remains returned, alongside an increase in aid to Gaza and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces. However, recent weekend violence has seen accusations of ceasefire breaches from both sides.
The IDF’s military campaign in Gaza began in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths in southern Israel and the taking of 251 hostages. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, over 68,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli actions since then.