Hamas has transferred a coffin containing what it claims are the remains of another deceased hostage to the Red Cross, according to the Israeli military.
The remains have been handed over to Israeli forces and will be taken to the National Centre of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification.
Under the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement with Israel, which commenced nearly a month ago, Hamas agreed to release all 20 living and 28 deceased Israeli and foreign hostages within a 72-hour timeframe.
Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally delaying the recovery of the deceased hostages’ bodies. Hamas, however, maintains that locating the remains under rubble has proven difficult.
Should the latest remains be confirmed as those of a deceased hostage, it would indicate that six others remain in Gaza, including both Israelis and foreign nationals.
All surviving Israeli hostages were released on October 13 in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel has also released the bodies of 300 Palestinians in return for the remains of Israeli hostages and two foreign nationals, one Thai and one Nepalese.
On Tuesday, the remains of Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, 19, were returned.
Staff Sgt. Chen was serving as a soldier in the IDF’s 7th Brigade when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The IDF reported that he was killed inside a tank during combat in Kibbutz Nir Oz and that his body was taken to Gaza by Hamas as a hostage.
The slow pace of hostage recovery has impeded progress on the second phase of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which encompasses governance of Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction efforts.
Israel has granted members of the Palestinian armed group and Red Cross personnel access to search for remains in areas under Israeli control.
With one exception, the deceased hostages remaining in Gaza were among the 251 individuals abducted during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 others.
In response, Israel initiated a military campaign in Gaza, resulting in over 68,800 fatalities, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi resigned on Friday, admitting leaking a video allegedly showing abuse of a Palestinian detainee.
Authorities identify the remains handed over on Sunday, bringing to eight the number of hostages’ bodies still to be found in Gaza.
The bodies were identified as those of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch, the Israeli prime minister’s office said.
Demonstrators take to the streets over changes to an exemption from military service in one of the biggest protests of its kind for years.
The operation, which Israel says was aimed at Hezbollah, draws a furious response from the Lebanese government.