Hamas has committed to returning the body of an Israeli hostage as part of the delicate ceasefire, which has been maintained despite ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. This development comes amidst rising Palestinian casualties and accusations of ceasefire violations, jeopardizing the relatively calm situation.
The body was discovered earlier this week in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza, by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hamas announced that the body will be transferred to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Tuesday.
Since the initiation of the US-brokered ceasefire on October 10, Palestinian militants have released 25 bodies of hostages, with three believed to still be in Gaza. The slow progress of returning the remains poses a threat to the ceasefire.
Hamas claims difficulties in retrieving all remains due to them being buried under debris from Israel’s two-year offensive in the region, which resulted in over 70,000 deaths. Additionally, an estimated 11,000 Palestinian bodies are feared to be under the wreckage.
Israel has accused the militants of delaying the process and has warned of resuming military actions or withholding humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned promptly. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled the delay as a breach of the ceasefire.
Since the ceasefire implementation, Israel has repatriated the bodies of 330 Palestinians to Gaza. Palestinian authorities have encountered challenges in identifying the bodies due to a lack of access to DNA kits.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government and comprises medical professionals maintaining accurate records, only 95 bodies have been positively identified. Conversely, Israel has not disclosed information regarding the identities of the bodies.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, families and children are grappling with the aftermath of heavy rains that have caused displacements and exposed thousands to harsh conditions.
The conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities and over 250 hostages. The majority of the hostages or their remains have been returned through ceasefire agreements or other arrangements.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that apart from the deceased, about 170,863 individuals have been wounded in Israel’s retaliatory actions. The casualties have risen during the ceasefire due to new Israeli strikes and the recovery and identification of bodies from earlier stages of the conflict.
Since the ceasefire inception, the ministry has recorded 345 fatalities and a total of 588 bodies recovered. Notably, the data does not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties.