Israel received two bodies, Hamas says are dead hostages

Israel has recovered two bodies that Hamas says are two more dead hostages being held in Gaza.

The Israeli military said the Red Cross had handed over two coffins to soldiers in the Palestinian territories, which they had previously received from Hamas.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the coffins – which were escorted by troops – had flown into Israel and would be formally identified in Tel Aviv.

Confirming their identities means Hamas has handed over 15 of the 28 dead Israeli hostages in the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal earlier this month. All 20 surviving hostages were released shortly after the deal was signed.

Hamas has handed over Palestinian bodies in previous hostage transfers, which it has said were accidental due to difficulties in locating the bodies.

The IDF urged the Israeli public on Tuesday evening to “behave with sensitivity and wait for official recognition, which will be given first to the families of the hostages”.

It stressed that “Hamas must uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all dead hostages”.

Israeli officials said the families of the hostages would be notified once the bodies were identified.

There is anger in Israel that Hamas has not yet returned all the dead hostages.

Palestinian groups say they are trying to do so but are having trouble finding bodies under the rubble of buildings bombed by the IDF in Gaza.

Under the ceasefire and hostage release agreement, Israel has freed 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 prisoners from Gaza and returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every Israeli hostage’s remains.

The first phase of the agreement has also seen an increase in aid to Gaza, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and a halt to fighting – although deadly violence erupted over the weekend as both sides accused each other of violating the deal’s terms.

The IDF launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7, 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed around 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage in southern Israel.

More than 68,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are deemed reliable by the United Nations.