The Israeli military has confirmed that one of the deceased individuals returned under the ceasefire agreement was not among the hostages. Hamas handed over four bodies on Tuesday and an additional four on Monday to help maintain the fragile ceasefire. After examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, it was determined that one of the bodies did not match any of the hostages.
Following a warning from an Israeli military agency, aid deliveries to Gaza were threatened to be reduced if Hamas did not comply with returning the remains as stipulated in the agreement. By late Tuesday, Hamas had released a total of eight bodies, with three being identified by the Hostages Family Forum as Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi. These individuals were taken captive during various incidents related to the conflict with Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the ceasefire deal brokered by former US President Donald Trump regarding the return of the hostage bodies. The US-proposed plan required all hostages, living and deceased, to be handed over by a set deadline, with Hamas committing to sharing information about the deceased hostages and expediting the return process.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem reassured on Wednesday that efforts were underway to return the bodies in line with the ceasefire agreement, despite accusing Israel of breaching the deal through recent shootings in Gaza. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, affirmed the military’s adherence to the agreement’s deployment rules and warned against approaching restricted areas.
While the release of living hostages and detainees was celebrated by both Israelis and Palestinians, concerns were raised by the families of the deceased hostages, as not all remains had been returned. Recovering the bodies was highlighted as a challenging task due to the extensive destruction in Gaza, with some remains believed to be in areas under Israeli control, as indicated by Hamas and the Red Cross.