Red Cross transfers remains of 3 bodies from Gaza to Israel for examination

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israeli authorities have received from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the remains of three Israeli captives from the Gaza Strip, Israeli broadcasting authority KAN said Friday.

It added that the remains were transferred to the National Forensic Institute for examination.

No further details were provided about the circumstances or conditions under which the handover took place.

Since a ceasefire agreement began on Oct. 10 in Gaza, Hamas has released 20 living Israeli captives and handed over the remains of 19 of 28, most of them Israelis. But Israel claimed that one of the bodies did not match any of its listed captives.

Israel has killed 211 Palestinians and injured 597 others since the ceasefire, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

It has tied the start of negotiations for the second phase of the phased ceasefire to the handover of all the hostage remains. Hamas has said the process requires time due to the massive destruction in Gaza.

Phase one of the deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Israel has killed more than 68,500 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600 in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.