TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that one of the bodies returned by Hamas as part of a recent ceasefire agreement is not that of a hostage held in Gaza. This development exacerbates the existing tensions surrounding the fragile truce in the ongoing two-year conflict.
Hamas delivered four bodies to Israel on Tuesday, following an earlier transfer of four on Monday, shortly after the last 20 living hostages were released. Overall, Israel is still awaiting the return of the bodies of 28 deceased hostages.
In exchange, Israel released approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners on Monday and is also returning the remains of Palestinian individuals as part of the agreement, which many families in Gaza have eagerly anticipated.
The military stated that examinations conducted at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine indicated that the fourth body returned does not match any known hostages. Currently, there is no information about the identity of that body.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of adhering to the ceasefire agreement, which was introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, demanding that Hamas honor its commitments regarding the return of hostages’ bodies. “We will not concede on this matter and will continue our efforts until we recover the last deceased hostage,” he asserted.
Hostage Exchanges and Body Returns
The U.S.-backed ceasefire agreement stipulated that all hostages—both living and deceased—should be handed over by a deadline that has now passed. If not fulfilled, Hamas was obligated to provide information about deceased hostages and make efforts to return them as soon as possible.
This is not the first instance of Hamas returning the wrong body; earlier this year, during a previous ceasefire, they mistakenly returned bodies that did not belong to the intended recipients. Issues with recovering the remains are reportedly due to extensive destruction in Gaza, and Hamas has alerted mediators that some bodies may be located in areas under Israeli control.
As humanitarian aid enters Gaza after delays due to the prisoner swap and a Jewish holiday, the Egyptian Red Crescent announced that 400 trucks filled with essential supplies are en route. Israel’s defense unit overseeing humanitarian efforts indicated that only half of the 600 aid trucks planned under the ceasefire will be allowed entry, but it’s unclear if they will execute this plan, as no comment was made regarding the expected truck numbers.
