Gaza Hostages: Israel Receives Two Bodies from Gaza, Hamas Claims They Are Hostages Amidst Ceasefire Tensions

The Israeli prime minister's office has announced that it has received two bodies from Gaza, which Hamas states are those of hostages. The remains, transferred via the Red Cross, have been transported to Israel for formal identification, while hamas had previously stated that these bodies were recovered in the Palestinian territory on Saturday.

Delays in Hostage Return and Rafah Crossing Closure

Prior to Saturday, the remains of 10 out of 28 deceased hostages had been returned to Israel. This delay has caused outrage in Israel, as the terms of last week's ceasefire deal stipulated the release of all hostages, living and dead, from Gaza. Hamas claims it has struggled to locate the remaining bodies under rubble, exacerbated by Israel not allowing heavy machinery into the territory, while in response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has ordered the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to remain closed until further notice, linking its reopening to the full return of remaining hostage remains and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The Rafah crossing is critical for Palestinians needing medical assistance and for thousands seeking to return.

Ceasefire Implementation and Recent Incidents

The IDF has stressed that Hamas must "uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the hostages. " However, the US has downplayed suggestions that the delay constitutes a breach of the ceasefire deal. As part of the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas also returned all 20 living hostages to Israel. Israel, in turn, freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza. Israel's military confirmed the identity of Eliyahu Margalit as the tenth deceased hostage returned on Friday, killed on October 7, 2023. Separately on Saturday, 11 members of one Palestinian family were killed by an Israeli tank shell, according to the Hamas-run civil defence ministry, while this marks the deadliest single incident involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the ceasefire began. The Israeli military stated soldiers fired at a "suspicious vehicle" that had crossed the "yellow line" demarcating the Israeli-occupied area in Gaza. The Israeli military launched its campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack, which resulted in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken by Hamas-led gunmen.