Israel Returns Bodies of 45 Palestinians Following Hamas Remains transfer
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip โ- Israel has handed over the bodiesโ of 45 Palestinians to authorities, following the return of the remainsโค of two Israeli soldiers by Hamas,โ officials confirmed โฃMonday. โฃThe โฃexchange marks a critically โขimportant, though โขsomber,โค progress inโ ongoing efforts โto resolve outstanding issues stemmingโข from theโค conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The transfer of remains, โfacilitated by Egyptian mediation, addresses a long-standing demand from Palestinian families who have sought the return of the bodies of loved ones โheld by Israel. For โyears, Israel has held onto theโฃ remains of Palestinians killed during clashes or designated as militants, citing security concernsโ and as leverage in negotiations for the โขrelease of โIsraeli citizens held in Gaza. The return of the Israeli soldiers’ remains – initially โคcaptured during the 2014 Gaza warโ – had been a key priority for Israel.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron announcedโ Monday that the increased access โฃfor aid agencies into Gaza is a positive step,โฃ stating, “Weโข are seeing a lifting of โคrestrictions and more agencies able to go in with โaid.” โคBritain will alsoโฃ provide an additional 6 million โขpounds ($7.9 million) inโข humanitarian support for Gaza, channeled through the U.N. โPopulation Fund.
amidst theโ ongoing conflict, Gaza’s health Ministry โขannounced a campaign to vaccinate approximately 40,000 Palestinian children under 3 years old against preventable diseases, including measles, polio, and meningitis,โฃ beginning next week. โขThe initiative will prioritize children who have โmissed routine vaccinations orโข received incomplete doses due to the war, โaccording to Dr. Nedal Ghoneim, the Health Ministry’s public โขhealth manager.
The exchange occurs against the backdrop of aโข devastating conflict that began with the Hamas-led โคattack on โsouthern Israel two years ago, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military offensive in Gaza has,โ according to the Gaza health Ministry, killed over 68,800 โPalestinians. Theโ ministry’s figures,โข while generally โฃconsidered reliable by independentโ experts, do not differentiate between civilians andโข combatants.โฃ Israel disputes the ministry’s figures but has not provided an alternative toll, and denies accusations of genocide leveled by a U.N. commission of inquiry and others.