Four coffins containing deceased hostages have entered Israel from across the border, as confirmed by the Israeli military on Tuesday. The bodies are en route to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announcement.
Earlier the same day, the IDF stated that the bodies were transferred from Gaza to Israel by Red Cross workers. Israel had reduced the aid entering Gaza by half due to Hamas’s failure to hand over the remaining hostages’ bodies as agreed upon in a ceasefire deal brokered by the United States.
The IDF emphasized Hamas’s responsibility to fulfill the agreement by returning all the hostages. Consequently, Israel extended the closure of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt until Wednesday.
The process of returning deceased hostages from Gaza has been slower than anticipated, with only four out of 28 bodies being handed over by Hamas on Monday. The recovery of remaining bodies may take longer, given the challenges of identifying burial sites in the rubble-strewn Gaza.
The Hostages Family Forum criticized Hamas for not returning all the bodies, labeling it a breach of the agreement. Meanwhile, the Israeli military identified two of the deceased hostages returned from Gaza as Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi from Nepal, who were taken during the 2023 attack on Israel.
Furthermore, Gaza health authorities reported the reception of 45 bodies of Palestinians previously held by Israel. The bodies were handed over via the International Committee of the Red Cross, respecting the dignity of the deceased. However, the process of identifying and releasing the names of the bodies to their families is still ongoing.
Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza Health Ministry reported seven Palestinians killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday. The incident raised concerns about the fragile peace and the challenges ahead for lasting peace in the region, including disarmament, governance, and rebuilding efforts in Gaza.