Gaza – The Red Cross has retrieved the body of a deceased Israeli hostage from the southern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Friday. The remains are currently en route to IDF troops within the territory.
The IDF urged the public “to act with sensitivity adn wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
This transfer follows a Hamas statement earlier Friday indicating it would hand over a hostage’s body. To date, Hamas has returned the bodies of nine of the 28 Israelis who died while held in Gaza, and has released all 20 living hostages as part of a recent ceasefire agreement.
The return of remains has been a point of contention, with Israel expressing fury that Hamas has not fulfilled its obligation to return all deceased hostages under the terms of the ceasefire. The United States has downplayed the suggestion this constitutes a breach of the agreement.
According to reports in the Times of Israel, a small ceremony led by a military rabbi will be held in Gaza before the remains are transported to Tel Aviv for identification.
Hamas maintains its commitment to the ceasefire, including “keenness to hand over all remaining corpses,” but has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering the search for remains by restricting the use of heavy machinery and diggers in Gaza.
Netanyahu, speaking at a memorial for victims of the October 7th Hamas-led attack, stated he is “determined” to secure the return of all deceased hostages and reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to fighting terrorism “with full force.”
The ceasefire, brokered with U.S.involvement, saw Israel release 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. U.S. officials have indicated preparations for the next phase of the deal are continuing, and do not currently believe Hamas has broken the agreement, noting the group has shared facts with mediators. A leaked version of the agreement, published in Israeli media, suggests the possibility that not all bodies would be promptly recoverable.
The retrieval of hostages comes after the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7th attack,in which approximately 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel and 251 were taken hostage. As than, at least 67,967 people have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
