Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
16-10-2025
JERUSALEM: Israeli hostage families have confirmed the identities of three of four bodies handed over by Hamas in Gaza on Tuesday.
The bodies of Tamir Nimrodi, 20, Eitan Levy, 53, and Uriel Baruch, 35, were part of the latest return, the Hostages Families Forum said. The fourth body does not match any of the known hostages, Israel said.
So far seven hostages’ bodies are confirmed to have been sent back from Gaza. Hamas has yet to return the other bodies as agreed under a ceasefire deal brokered by the US.
Frustrated by the slow return of bodies, Israel has threatened to further restrict humanitarian aid until the remains of all 28 hostages were returned. Hamas says it has had difficulty locating them.
Confirming that examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine found that the remaining unnamed body handed over on Tuesday was not a hostage’s, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on social media that “Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.”
The delay in the return of hostages’ bodies, originally envisaged to have been completed on Monday has caused fury in Israel.
On Tuesday, reports suggested Israel would reduce the amount of aid allowed into Gaza and not reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt where 600 trucks with food and medical supplies have gathered.
Amid reports by Israeli public broadcaster Kan that the crossing in the south of the territory would reopen on Wednesday, Israel clarified that it would only open for the entry and exit of Palestinians and not for the entry of aid.
“Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing. No such agreement has been reached at any stage,” said an official from Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of aid for Gaza.
Israel’s defence minister has warned the Palestinian armed group that “any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly”.
The bodies of four more hostages are expected to be transferred from Gaza later on Wednesday, according to Israeli media.
Hamas handed back all 20 living hostages on Monday. The remains of 45 dead Palestinians who had been held in Israel were returned to Gaza on Tuesday, the Red Cross said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, which both Israel and Hamas accepted, envisaged the handover of all 48 hostages would be completed by noon on Monday.
Palestinians are increasingly worried that a delay in Hamas returning the bodies could bring uncertainty to the future of the ceasefire.
A copy of the ceasefire agreement, published by Israeli media last week, appeared to acknowledge that Hamas and other Palestinian factions might not be able to locate all of the bodies within the original timeframe.
An Israeli official has suggested that an international task force will start work to locate the remains of anyone who was not returned.
“A big burden has been lifted, but the job is NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase two begins right NOW!!!” Trump said on social media.
Many Palestinians have told media they are worried the delay in Hamas’ return of all bodies of Israeli hostages and any subsequent violence could risk the ceasefire and derail the start of the second phase of negotiations. (Int’l News Desk)
