Hamas has handed over the remains of two more Israeli captives to the Red Cross, bringing the total number of deceased captives returned to 12 out of 28. The Palestinian group accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and repudiating commitments made to peace mediators. According to the deal, Hamas was to return all Israeli captives within 72 hours of signing in exchange for Israel releasing 360 bodies of deceased Palestinians and 2,000 prisoners.
The prime minister's office said the families of the Israeli captives have been updated on the return of the remains, although no names have been released. The bodies have been transferred to the Israeli National Centre of Forensic Medicine for identification.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas of not doing enough to return the remains of the 28 captives, demanding all bodies be returned immediately. Until then, Israel will not fully honor its commitments under the ceasefire, including opening the Rafah border crossing and allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains slow despite the ceasefire deal, with Palestinian authorities struggling to search for captives' bodies beneath the rubble due to a lack of equipment.¹
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