Israeli authorities have delivered the bodies of 30 Palestinians following Hamas militants in Gaza surrendering the remains of two hostages. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed receiving the bodies but did not provide immediate details on their condition or identification.
The exchange of Palestinian bodies for hostages signifies progress in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, despite severe Israeli strikes in Gaza claiming over 100 Palestinian lives this week, mostly civilians.
The recent attacks were a response to a sniper killing an Israel Defence Force soldier and allegations of Hamas returning body parts of a previously held hostage. Before this exchange, Israel had returned 195 Palestinian bodies without specifying their identities.
It remains uncertain whether the bodies returned by Israel were involved in the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, died as detainees in Israeli custody, or were recovered from Gaza during the conflict. Gaza health officials have faced challenges in identifying the bodies due to the lack of DNA kits.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the returned remains of Palestinian militants were identified as Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. At least 40 individuals were reported injured in overnight strikes in southern Gaza, following Israel reinstating the ceasefire on Wednesday.
Hamas has so far returned the remains of 17 hostages since the ceasefire began, with 11 more expected to be handed over. Sahar, an aspiring electrical engineering student, was killed during a rescue mission after three months of captivity. Cooper, an economist and Kibbutz Nir Oz co-founder, was captured alongside his wife, Nurit, who was released later. Israeli officials confirmed his death in Gaza in June 2024.
Hamas received a warning for its remaining fighters in the yellow zone of Gaza to evacuate within 24 hours or face Israeli attacks. The deadline passed on Thursday, with Israel indicating readiness to engage Hamas targets if necessary.
The ongoing ceasefire, initiated on Oct. 10, aims to de-escalate the deadliest and most destructive conflict between Israel and Hamas triggered by the Oct. 2023 attack that resulted in numerous casualties and hostages.
Since then, Israel’s military actions have resulted in the deaths of over 68,600 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry’s records, deemed reliable by many independent experts, are challenged by Israel, which denies accusations of genocide in Gaza.