The Israeli military confirmed that one of the deceased individuals returned under the ceasefire agreement was not one of the hostages held. Hamas handed over four bodies on Tuesday to help maintain the fragile ceasefire, adding to the four bodies transferred on Monday when 20 living hostages were released. After examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, Israel determined that the fourth body received from Hamas did not belong to any of the hostages.
The transfer of bodies occurred following a warning by an Israeli military agency threatening to reduce aid shipments to Gaza due to Hamas’s failure to comply with the agreed terms. By Monday night, four bodies were released, with another four following on Tuesday. Among the second group of bodies, three were identified by the Hostages Family Forum as Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi. Baruch was abducted during the Nova music festival attack on Israel in October 2023, triggering the conflict in Gaza.
Nimrodi, who was involved in overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza, was taken from the Erez border crossing, while Levi was kidnapped while driving near Kibbutz Be’eri during the same incident. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Hamas fulfilling its obligations outlined in the ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump concerning the return of the hostages’ bodies.
The US-proposed ceasefire plan required the handover of all hostages, living and deceased, by a deadline that lapsed on Monday. In case of non-compliance, Hamas was expected to share information on deceased hostages and work towards their transfer promptly. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem assured on Wednesday that the group was committed to returning the hostages’ bodies as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, while accusing Israel of violating the deal through shootings in Gaza City and Rafah.
Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, confirmed that the military is adhering to the deployment guidelines in the agreement and warned of targeting individuals approaching the deployment lines, as observed with alleged militants on Tuesday. The return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza was celebrated by Israelis on Monday, while Palestinians welcomed the release of around 2,000 prisoners as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire.
However, families of hostages expressed disappointment that not all 28 deceased hostages were repatriated. Both Hamas and the Red Cross cited challenges in recovering the remains due to the extensive destruction in Gaza, noting that some bodies may be in areas under Israeli control.