The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that the remains of a hostage from Gaza have been transferred to Israel, marking progress following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. This move comes after Hamas returned the remains of 20 hostages to Israel since the ceasefire began on October 10. Confirmation of these remains through forensic analysis would leave seven bodies still in Gaza.
The ceasefire aims to de-escalate the intense conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, which has been the deadliest and most destructive in their history. Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas’ military wing disclosed that they had located an Israeli soldier’s body in Gaza and planned to deliver the remains. However, Israel did not specify whether the recovered remains were of a soldier.
Militants in Gaza have been gradually releasing one to three bodies every few days. Israel has been urging for a quicker return process and has disputed some remains as not belonging to hostages. Hamas has cited extensive destruction in Gaza as a complicating factor in the identification process.
Under the current ceasefire agreement, for each returned hostage, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. To date, 270 Palestinian bodies have been transferred, with less than half being identified. The forensic identification process is hindered by the lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The Health Ministry in Gaza has resorted to posting photos of the remains online in the hope that families can recognize their loved ones.
The conflict was ignited by a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and the abduction of 251 individuals according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched a widespread military operation that has led to the deaths of over 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Despite accusations of genocide in Gaza from a UN commission of inquiry and others, Israel has refuted these claims and challenged the accuracy of the Health Ministry’s casualty figures without providing an alternative count.
