Hamas has reportedly delivered three coffins, which it claims contain the remains of deceased hostages from Gaza, to the Israeli military. The coffins were received via the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip and will be taken to Israel for formal identification. If verified, this indicates that there are still eight deceased Israeli and foreign hostages remaining in Gaza.
Under a recent US-brokered ceasefire agreement that began last month, Hamas committed to returning 20 living and 28 deceased hostages. However, the Israeli government has accused Hamas of delaying the return of the deceased, while Hamas contends it is attempting to recover bodies trapped under rubble in the area. Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that the remains were located along a tunnel route in southern Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that families of the hostages have been informed of the situation, emphasizing an ongoing effort to recover all hostages. Both Hamas and Israel have levied accusations against one another regarding breaches of the ceasefire.
On the same day, an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza resulted in the death of a man, as reported by Hamas-run health officials. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a militant perceived as a threat to its soldiers.
Previously, all living Israeli hostages were released on 13 October as part of the first phase of the ceasefire in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. So far, Israel has exchanged the bodies of 225 Palestinians for the remains of 15 Israeli hostages returned by Hamas, which also included two foreign hostages, one Thai and the other Nepalese. Prior to the recent delivery, nine of the 11 deceased hostages in Gaza were identified as Israelis.
The initial hostages were among 251 individuals abducted during the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in around 1,200 fatalities. In response, Israel has conducted a military operation in Gaza, leading to reported casualties exceeding 68,500 according to sources from the Hamas-run health ministry.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ep044jz47o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss