On Wednesday, Israel received a body that Hamas claims belongs to one of the two remaining hostages from Gaza yet to be transferred under a ceasefire agreement. The Red Cross facilitated the handover to the Israeli military, which announced that forensic examinations will be conducted to confirm the identity of the deceased, according to the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This development arises from a ceasefire arrangement between Hamas, the militant group, and Israel, in which a total of 28 deceased hostages are to be returned. Earlier that day, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) took to social media platform X to announce the transfer.
In a statement, the military noted, “The coffin containing the deceased hostage, accompanied by IDF soldiers, has just crossed into Israel and is en route to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification procedures.”
Hamas also reported earlier in the day that they had delivered a body of a hostage. However, the group’s earlier attempt—when they handed over body parts to the Red Cross on Tuesday—was deemed unsuccessful, as these remains were not linked to any of the remaining deceased hostages, according to Israeli sources.
If the body transferred on Wednesday is confirmed as one of the hostages, it means just one more needs to be handed over to fulfill the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Reached in October, this deal outlined that Hamas would return all remaining hostages, both living and deceased. At the onset of the agreement, 28 dead hostages and 20 living ones were still unaccounted for.
Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire terms, citing delays in the transfer of deceased hostages. In response, Hamas has stated that the bodies were buried under rubble, complicating their recovery.
The Red Cross has played a pivotal role throughout this process, overseeing the transfers of both living and deceased hostages. As part of the agreement, in exchange for the release of 48 hostages from Gaza, Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinians from its prisons, while also returning the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each deceased hostage that has been handed over.
This ongoing negotiation between Israel and Hamas highlights the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the complexities involved in repatriating hostages in such a tense and storied conflict.
