Hamas has committed to returning the body of an Israeli hostage as part of the fragile ceasefire that remains intact despite ongoing deadly Israeli attacks on Gaza. This development comes amidst rising Palestinian casualties and mutual allegations of ceasefire violations that could jeopardize the relatively low levels of violence.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad reported discovering the body earlier this week in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza. Hamas announced that the body will be transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday afternoon via Telegram.
Since the US-brokered ceasefire commenced on October 10, Palestinian militants have released the bodies of 25 hostages, with three believed to still be in Gaza. The slow process poses a threat to the ceasefire’s sustainability.
Hamas cited difficulties in retrieving all remains due to them being buried under rubble from Israel’s two-year offensive in the Palestinian territory, which resulted in over 70,000 fatalities. Concerns are raised that around 11,000 Palestinian remains might be entombed beneath the wreckage.
Israel has accused the militants of delaying the process and warned of potential military action resumption or withholding humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned promptly. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office labeled the delay a violation of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire’s implementation, Israel has repatriated the bodies of 330 Palestinians to Gaza. Palestinian authorities have faced challenges in identifying the bodies without access to DNA kits, with only 95 bodies identified to date, according to the Gaza Health Ministry under Hamas administration.
Israel has not disclosed the identities of the repatriated bodies. In Gaza, families and children are grappling with the aftermath of heavy rains, leading to thousands being displaced and exposed to the elements once again.
The conflict began with a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and over 250 hostages. Nearly all hostages or their remains have been returned through ceasefires or other agreements.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that besides the deceased, a further 170,863 individuals have been wounded in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire due to ongoing Israeli strikes and the recovery and identification of individuals killed earlier in the conflict.
The ministry stated that 345 individuals have died, with a total of 588 bodies recovered since the ceasefire commencement. Notably, the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants among the deceased.