In a significant development, Israel has received two bodies from Gaza that Hamas claims are hostages. The transfer was facilitated by the Red Cross and the remains were handed over to Israeli forces for formal identification. Hamas announced earlier that these bodies were recovered within the Palestinian territory on Saturday. This transfer marks a continuation of the complex situation regarding hostages, as prior to this, the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased hostages had already been returned to Israel.
The delay in the return of the hostages' bodies has sparked outrage in Israel. The terms of the recent ceasefire agreement explicitly stated that all hostages, both living and deceased, should be released from Gaza. Hamas has stated that it has faced challenges in locating the remaining bodies, which are believed to be trapped under rubble.
In response to the ongoing situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has ordered that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remain closed until further notice. The reopening of this critical crossing will be considered only upon the return of the final hostage remains and the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The Rafah crossing is essential for Palestinians requiring medical assistance and for thousands seeking to return home.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have emphasized that Hamas must adhere to the terms of the ceasefire and take the necessary measures to return all hostages. Meanwhile, the United States has downplayed claims that the delay in returning the bodies constitutes a breach of the ceasefire agreement. President Donald Trump hailed the ceasefire deal as a significant achievement during his recent visit to Israel and Egypt.
The details of the ceasefire agreement have not been made public, but a leaked version suggests that it anticipated difficulties in accessing all the bodies immediately. Hamas has attributed the challenges in recovery to Israeli air strikes that have turned many buildings into rubble. Additionally, Israel has restricted the entry of heavy machinery and diggers into Gaza, complicating recovery efforts.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the Gaza Strip as a wasteland, with individuals sifting through debris to locate bodies and search for their homes, many of which have been destroyed. As part of the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas also returned all 20 living hostages to Israel. The IDF confirmed the identity of the tenth deceased hostage, Eliyahu Margalit, whose body was retrieved from the Nir Oz kibbutz following his death on October 7, 2023.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. On the same day of the transfer, the Hamas-run health ministry reported that Israel had handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians via the Red Cross, raising the total number of bodies received by Hamas to 135.
In a separate incident on Saturday, an Israeli tank shell reportedly killed 11 members of one Palestinian family, marking the deadliest single event involving Israeli forces since the ceasefire began. The Israeli military stated that soldiers had fired upon a suspicious vehicle near the so-called yellow line, which delineates the area still occupied by Israeli forces. However, the absence of physical markers for this line raises questions about the circumstances of the incident.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, where approximately 1,200 individuals were killed in southern Israel, and 251 hostages were taken. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, at least 68,000 people have died due to Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, figures that the United Nations considers credible. In September, a UN commission of inquiry accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a claim that Israel has categorically rejected as distorted and false.
