Israel’s military announced that a coffin containing the remains of a deceased hostage was handed over to the Red Cross in southern Gaza and was en route to Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel in the region. The IDF urged the public on X to approach the situation with sensitivity, emphasizing that official identification would first be provided to the affected families. The military reiterated that Hamas is obligated to return all deceased hostages as stipulated in a recent ceasefire agreement.
This development follows Hamas’s earlier claim that it would transfer the body of an Israeli hostage the following Friday. Initially, Hamas returned the remains of nine out of 28 deceased hostages in Gaza and released all 20 living hostages.
There has been significant discontent in Israel regarding Hamas’s failure to return all bodies as part of the ceasefire arrangement; however, U.S. officials have downplayed this as a breach of agreement. The IDF’s latest statements did not specify the next steps for the coffin after its transfer by the Red Cross. Reports indicated that a small ceremony conducted by a military rabbi would take place in Gaza before the remains were transported to Tel Aviv for identification.
Hamas has stated its commitment to the ceasefire and its intention to hand over all remaining corpses, while accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering efforts to retrieve hostages’ remains due to restrictions on heavy machinery and diggers in Gaza. In a memorial for victims of the October 7 attack led by Hamas, Netanyahu expressed determination to ensure the return of deceased hostages and reiterated the country’s commitment to counter-terrorism efforts.
Under the ceasefire facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners from its jails and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. U.S. advisers noted that preparations for the next phase of the ceasefire were ongoing, stating they did not believe that Hamas had violated the agreement thus far. While the complete terms of the ceasefire have not been released, a leaked version suggested not all remains would be readily accessible. Following the initial attack from Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals in Israel and the abduction of 251 others, Israeli military operations in Gaza have reportedly led to over 67,967 fatalities, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yp3eq9knvo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss