Israel said three more remains believed to be hostages were handed over from Gaza and will undergo forensic testing as a month-old ceasefire holds. Hamas reported the remains were found in a tunnel in southern Gaza. Since Oct. 10, militants have transferred the remains of 17 people believed to have been hostages, while Israel has returned the remains of 15 Palestinians in parallel exchanges. Identification efforts are slow: Gaza's Health Ministry says only 75 of 225 returned Palestinian bodies have been identified due to limited DNA resources. The exchanges are part of a U.S.-brokered, 20-point ceasefire plan, but major issues including disarmament, governance and increased humanitarian aid remain unresolved.
Remains of Three Suspected Hostages Returned from Gaza as Fragile Ceasefire Holds
Israel said three more remains believed to be hostages were handed over from Gaza and will undergo forensic testing as a month-old ceasefire holds. Hamas reported the remains were found in a tunnel in southern Gaza. Since Oct. 10, militants have transferred the remains of 17 people believed to have been hostages, while Israel has returned the remains of 15 Palestinians in parallel exchanges. Identification efforts are slow: Gaza's Health Ministry says only 75 of 225 returned Palestinian bodies have been identified due to limited DNA resources. The exchanges are part of a U.S.-brokered, 20-point ceasefire plan, but major issues including disarmament, governance and increased humanitarian aid remain unresolved.
23:42, 02.11.2025Conflict
Israel says remains of three suspected hostages handed over from Gaza
Israel announced on Sunday that Gaza had handed over the remains of three people believed to be hostages and that forensic experts would examine them, as a fragile ceasefire that began a month ago remained in place. A Hamas statement said the remains were found Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have transferred the remains of 17 people believed to have been hostages; Israeli officials say 11 are still thought to be in Gaza prior to this latest handover. Militants have been returning one or two bodies every few days, a pace Israel has urged be accelerated. In some instances, Israeli authorities have said returned remains did not match any known hostage.
Israel's military said any official identifications would be provided first to the families. Emotions around the recovered remains remain high; families continue to rally weekly in Israel to press for answers and returns.
“This cursed war has taken so many lives of dear people on both sides of the fence. This time, we must not fall into it again,” said Moran Harari, speaking at a Jerusalem rally for the late Carmel Gat.
In parallel exchanges, Israel has released the remains of 15 Palestinians in return for remains of Israelis. Gaza's Health Ministry reports that only 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies returned since the ceasefire began have been identified, citing shortages of DNA kits and the widespread devastation that complicates identification. The ministry has posted photographs of remains in hopes families will recognize them.
It remains unclear whether the returned Palestinian remains are those of people killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that precipitated the war, detainees who died in custody, or individuals recovered by Israeli troops during military operations.
Ceasefire framework and wider challenges
The prisoner-and-remains exchanges are a central element of the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered, 20-point ceasefire plan, which envisages the formation of an international stabilization force of Arab and other partners to work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza's borders and helping ensure the truce is respected. Several countries have expressed interest in contributing troops but have said they would require a clear U.N. Security Council mandate.
Other unresolved and difficult issues include how Hamas might be disarmed, who would govern Gaza after the war, and when and how humanitarian aid flows will be substantially increased. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that 'there are still pockets of Hamas' in areas under Israeli control, naming Rafah and Khan Younis as locations where fighters remain and saying they would be eliminated.
The war that followed the Oct. 7, 2023 attack — which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in roughly 251 hostages taken — has been the deadliest and most destructive between the two sides. Gaza's Health Ministry reports more than 68,800 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military offensive; the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel disputes figures and some conclusions from international inquiries and has rejected accusations of genocide.
Reporting note: This account is based on official statements from Israeli authorities, a Hamas statement, and Gaza Health Ministry figures; identification of remains is ongoing and subject to forensic confirmation.