Israel, Hamas continue body exchanges amid ceasefire strain; Red Cross transfers 285 bodies

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has transported 285 bodies from Israel to Gaza since a fragile ceasefire agreement was brokered last month. Officials at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital confirmed that 15 more Palestinian bodies were returned on Wednesday, even as both Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the terms of the deal.

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The latest handover came a day after Palestinian militants in Gaza returned the body of Israeli soldier Itay Chen, who was killed during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault that triggered the ongoing war. Chen’s family described the return as “bittersweet” and demanded accountability over security failures surrounding the attack.

Health officials in Gaza said that identifying the returned remains has been difficult due to the lack of DNA testing kits. Israel has not disclosed how many bodies it holds or where they were recovered. According to officials, Israel returns 15 Palestinian bodies each time it receives the remains of an Israeli hostage.

The body exchanges form the initial phase of a U.S.-brokered, 20-point agreement requiring Hamas to return all Israeli hostage remains. While Hamas has returned 20 living hostages and 21 bodies so far, Israel has accused the group of violating the deal by providing partial remains and staging recoveries. Hamas, meanwhile, claims that retrieval operations are hindered by the widespread devastation in Gaza and has accused Israel of targeting civilians and restricting humanitarian aid.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Doha that discussions are underway to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, stressing the need for a Security Council mandate to legitimize its creation.

The ceasefire aims to end the conflict sparked by the October 2023 attack, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel and led to a massive Israeli offensive. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 68,800 Palestinians killed, figures Israel disputes but has not independently countered.