Four deceased hostages’ coffins have entered Israel through the border, as stated by the Israeli military on Tuesday. The bodies are en route to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announcement. Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF mentioned that the Red Cross workers had received the bodies in Gaza and were transferring them to Israel.
Israel reduced the aid entering Gaza by half after Hamas failed to hand over the remaining hostages’ bodies as agreed upon in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. Local health authorities in Gaza confirmed receiving 45 bodies of Palestinians detained by Israel. The IDF urged Hamas to abide by the agreement and return all the hostages promptly.
Israeli officials informed Reuters that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed until Wednesday due to Hamas’ failure to surrender over 20 hostages’ remains according to the ceasefire terms. The repatriation of deceased hostages from Gaza has been slower than anticipated, with Hamas retrieving four bodies on Monday out of the 28 expected.
The Hostages Family Forum criticized Hamas for not returning all the hostage bodies, labeling it a breach of the agreement. Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza, while Palestinians welcomed the release of around 2,000 prisoners and detainees by Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement’s initial phase.
The Israeli military identified two of the deceased hostages returned from Gaza as Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese student. Illouz succumbed to untreated wounds during captivity, while Joshi was reportedly murdered in the early months of the war. The return process is being expedited through international mediators applying pressure on Hamas, as stated by Gal Hirsch, the top Israeli official overseeing hostage returns.
Gaza health authorities received 45 bodies of Palestinians held by Israel, with the bodies now in morgues awaiting identification. Some bodies showed signs of torture, and health officials are awaiting the list of names from Israeli authorities. The hospital aims to publish the names for families to identify their loved ones if confirmed.
Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza Health Ministry reported seven people killed by Israeli fire on Tuesday. The Israeli military cited individuals crossing truce lines and approaching their forces as the reason for the shootings. The long-term challenges for lasting peace in Gaza include questions about Hamas disarmament, governance, rebuilding efforts, and Palestinian statehood, with unresolved issues central to regional concerns.
