Israel confirmed receiving human remains from Palestinian militants via the Red Cross, though the identity of the remains and whether they belong to the three remaining hostages in Gaza remains uncertain. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the remains would undergo forensic testing for identification purposes. Palestinian Islamic Jihad reported discovering the remains in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza earlier this week.
This transfer marks the latest development in the fragile ceasefire agreement established last month, which has largely held despite mutual allegations of breaches. The agreement, brokered between Hamas and Israel in October, led to the release of all 20 surviving hostages held in Gaza by Hamas in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian detainees held by Israel. Additionally, the deal stipulated the return of the remains of 28 hostages in exchange for the remains of 360 Palestinian militants.
To date, Palestinian militants have returned 25 hostage bodies, with the outstanding hostages believed to include two Israelis and a Thai national. In reciprocation, Israel has transferred the bodies of 330 Palestinians to Gaza, the majority of which remain unidentified. Hamas has cited difficulties in retrieving all the remains promptly due to burial beneath rubble resulting from Israel’s two-year offensive. Israel has criticized the perceived delay by militants and threatened to resume military actions or withhold humanitarian aid until all remains are returned, labeling the delay as a ceasefire violation according to Netanyahu’s office.
In a related development, Egyptian state-linked Al-Qahera News TV reported a follow-up meeting hosted by the Egyptian government for mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire agreement. The meeting, attended by Egypt’s intelligence head, the Qatari prime minister, and Turkey’s intelligence chief, focused on implementing the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for post-war Gaza, aiming to address challenges such as ceasefire violations to ensure its consolidation.
Additionally, a Hamas delegation, led by exiled leader Khalil al-Hayya, engaged in discussions with Egyptian officials in Cairo over the past two days to strategize the implementation of Trump’s plan, which includes establishing a transitional governing authority for Gaza and deploying a multinational security force. Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the truce and impeding progress on subsequent steps outlined in Trump’s plan.