Israel Returns Bodies of 90 Palestinians to Gaza Amid Ceasefire
Gaza - Israel has returned the bodies of 90 Palestinians to Gaza authorities since a ceasefire agreement was reached on saturday, October 10th. The exchanges are occurring as part of a deal brokered with the assistance of United States President Donald Trump, aimed at ending a two-year conflict.
The ceasefire agreement stipulates that israel will hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every Israeli citizen whose remains are repatriated. To date, Hamas has transferred the bodies of three Israeli citizens adn one Nepali citizen, followed by three additional Israeli citizens and one unidentified body – confirmed by the military as not belonging to a deceased hostage. Concurrently, approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli prisons in exchange for the return of 20 hostages previously held in Gaza.
While 20 hostages remain in Gaza, the return of remains is becoming a point of contention. Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has threatened to halt aid deliveries to Gaza if Hamas does not return the bodies of Israeli soldiers still held within the territory.
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and egypt remains closed as of Wednesday, October 15th, pending the handover of the remains of deceased hostages, despite reports suggesting a potential reopening for aid convoys.