The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that the remains of a hostage from Gaza have been transferred to Israel, marking another step forward in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. Prior to this, Hamas had already returned the remains of 20 hostages to Israel since the ceasefire commenced on October 10. Should the latest set of remains be confirmed through forensic analysis, only seven bodies would remain in Gaza.
The ceasefire aims to de-escalate the most deadly and devastating conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group. Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas’s military division stated it had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier in Gaza and planned to deliver the remains to Israel. However, Israel did not specify whether the recovered remains belonged to a soldier.
In recent days, militants in Gaza have been gradually releasing one to three bodies at a time. Israel has been urging for an expedited return process, occasionally contesting that some remains do not belong to hostages. Hamas has cited challenges due to widespread destruction in the region.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, for each hostage repatriated from Gaza, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. To date, approximately 270 Palestinian bodies have been handed over, with less than half of them positively identified. The forensic identification process is hindered by the lack of DNA testing equipment in Gaza. The Health Ministry in Gaza has resorted to posting images of the remains online in the hopes that families can recognize them.
The conflict was sparked by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in around 1,200 casualties and 251 individuals being taken as hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched a widespread military campaign that has led to the deaths of over 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel has refuted claims of genocide in Gaza made by a UN inquiry commission and others, challenging the ministry’s casualty figures without providing an alternative count.
