Israel has received the bodies of two deceased hostages from Hamas, the militant group that has held dozens of captives in Gaza since the conflict erupted.
According to Israeli officials, the remains were transferred on Thursday through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and will be examined at Israel’s national forensic laboratory for identification.
If confirmed, 11 bodies of Israeli hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza.
“The effort to bring back our hostages continues uninterrupted and will not cease until the return of the last hostage,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The transfer came just two days after Israel launched heavy retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza following the killing of an Israeli soldier by Hamas fighters in Rafah. The strikes killed more than 100 Palestinians, including at least 46 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
It was the deadliest day in Gaza since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect nearly three weeks ago.
Despite the violence, both Hamas and Israel have stated that they remain committed to the ceasefire. Thursday’s transfer of the hostages’ remains signaled that the fragile truce had not collapsed, even after enduring its toughest test yet.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for the ceasefire, saying, “Nothing’s going to jeopardize the Gaza ceasefire.” He warned that Washington could “take out Hamas very easily” if the group continued to violate the agreement.
Earlier this week, Hamas had said it would return one set of remains but later reversed the decision after Israeli bombardments intensified.
On Monday, the group also handed over remains it claimed belonged to deceased hostage Ofir Tzarfati. However, Israel said Tzarfati’s body had been recovered two years earlier, accusing Hamas of a “clear violation” of the ceasefire deal.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later released footage it said showed Hamas staging the recovery of the remains before passing them to the Red Cross.
In response, the Red Cross condemned the alleged deception, saying, “It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged when so much depends on this agreement being upheld.”
The latest development highlights both the fragility of the Gaza ceasefire and the political tension surrounding the hostage negotiations a critical test for both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S.-led diplomatic effort.