Israel confirmed on Tuesday that it has received human remains from Palestinian militants through the Red Cross. It remains uncertain whether these remains belong to any of the three hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that the remains would undergo forensic testing and identification.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad reported discovering the remains earlier in the week in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza. This handover is part of the ongoing exchanges following last month’s fragile ceasefire agreement, which has been holding despite allegations of violations from both sides.
In the agreement reached in October between Hamas and Israel, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages in Gaza in return for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel. The deal also included the exchange of the remains of 28 hostages for the remains of 360 Palestinian militants.
To date, Palestinian militants have returned 25 sets of hostage remains, leaving two Israelis and a Thai national still unaccounted for. Israel, under pressure, has released the bodies of 330 Palestinians to Gaza, with many remaining unidentified. Hamas cited difficulties in locating all the remains due to rubble from Israel’s previous military actions, leading to tensions as Israel urges prompt return of all remains, threatening to resume military operations or withhold aid.
In a related development, Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV reported a follow-up meeting held in Cairo with mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire deal. The gathering, attended by Egypt’s intelligence head, the Qatari prime minister, and the Turkish intelligence chief, discussed plans to implement the next phase of President Donald Trump’s post-war Gaza strategy and address challenges such as ceasefire breaches to ensure its success.
Hamas, represented by its exiled leader Khalil al-Hayya, engaged in discussions with Egyptian officials in Cairo over the past two days to strategize the forthcoming steps outlined in Trump’s plan, including establishing a transitional governing body for Gaza and deploying an international security force.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Israel and Hamas have exchanged accusations of violating the truce and impeding progress as outlined in Trump’s plan.
