The remains of a hostage have been returned from Gaza to Israel, according to the Israeli military on Tuesday. This development is seen as a notable step forward in the ongoing efforts under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2023. Following the transfer, the body will be examined at the Ministry of Health’s National Center for Forensic Medicine to confirm its identity.
Prior to this latest return, Hamas had already handed over the remains of 20 hostages to Israel as part of the established ceasefire. If the remains currently in Israel are verified through forensic testing, there will be seven other sets of remains still in Gaza awaiting identification. The return of the last remaining hostages has proceeded at a slow pace, with Hamas releasing only one or two bodies every few days. The organization has attributed the delays to the extensive destruction in Gaza, where many remains are reportedly buried under rubble from the conflict.
Earlier on the same day, Hamas’s military wing announced that it had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier in Gaza and planned to return those remains as well. The Israeli military did not specify whether the remains recently returned were of a soldier. The Israeli government has been pressing for quicker returns and has indicated that some remains may not belong to hostages.
Families of the hostages and the Israeli government have criticized Hamas for what they perceive as delays, threatening to resume military operations or restrict humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned promptly. Conversely, Hamas has cited the widespread devastation in Gaza as a complicating factor in the recovery of remains.
As part of the negotiations, for each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has agreed to release the remains of 15 Palestinians. To date, the remains of 270 Palestinians have been returned under the current ceasefire, with fewer than half of those identified. The forensic process is hampered by a shortage of DNA testing kits in Gaza, leading the Hamas-run Health Ministry to post images of the remains online to assist families in identification.
The conflict intensified following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages taken. Israel’s military counteroffensive has led to over 68,800 Palestinian deaths, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. This ministry, which operates under the Hamas government and employs medical professionals, maintains detailed records that are generally regarded as reliable by independent experts.
While Israel has contested the figures provided by the Health Ministry, it has not presented an alternative death toll. The ongoing conflict, characterized as one of the deadliest between Israel and Hamas, has seen a temporary ceasefire, although hostilities briefly resumed last month when Israel accused Hamas of violating the agreement. The Israel Defense Forces have stated that they will continue to honor the ceasefire but will respond decisively to any violations.
As the situation evolves, the focus remains on the final arrangements for the return of the hostages and the remains of those who have perished, reflecting the ongoing human toll of this protracted conflict.
