Israeli authorities have transferred the corpses of 30 Palestinians after Hamas militants in Gaza relinquished the remains of two captives. Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has acknowledged receiving the bodies but has not disclosed their condition or identities immediately.
The swap of Palestinian bodies for hostage remains showcases progress in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, despite severe Israeli airstrikes in Gaza resulting in over 100 Palestinian casualties, predominantly civilians.
These strikes were in retaliation to a sniper killing an Israeli Defense Force soldier and allegations that Hamas had returned body parts of a hostage previously recovered. Before the recent handover, Israel had returned 195 Palestinian bodies to Gaza without specifying their identities.
It remains uncertain whether the bodies returned by Israel were casualties of the Oct. 7 attack, deceased while in Israeli custody as detainees, or retrieved from Gaza by troops during the conflict. Health authorities in Gaza are facing challenges in identifying the bodies due to a lack of access to DNA kits.
The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the militants had handed over the bodies of Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the conflict. The ceasefire was reinstated by Israel on Wednesday following overnight strikes that injured at least 40 individuals in southern Gaza.
Hamas has returned 17 hostages’ remains since the ceasefire began, with 11 more expected to be surrendered. Baruch, preparing to pursue an electrical engineering degree, was killed at 25 during a rescue attempt three months into his captivity. Cooper, an economist and co-founder of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was captured along with his wife, Nurit, who was later released. Israeli officials confirmed his death in Gaza in June 2024 at the age of 84.
Hamas has been warned to evacuate remaining fighters in the yellow zone within Gaza within 24 hours to avoid Israeli strikes. The ceasefire, initiated on Oct. 10, aims to de-escalate the conflict, which stands as the deadliest and most destructive between Israel and Hamas.
The conflict was triggered by the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. Over the past two years, Israel’s military operations have claimed the lives of more than 68,600 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which maintains detailed records viewed as reliable by independent experts.
Israel has contested these figures, with some international critics accusing the country of genocide in Gaza.