The Israeli government has received the body of a deceased hostage from Hamas, according to the Prime Minister's Office. The remains were handed over by the militant group through the Red Cross. The Israeli Defence Forces and the Israel Securities Authority announced that the coffin is being taken to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures. This development comes after Hamas initially claimed to have found the body of an Israeli soldier in Shejaia, a Gaza City suburb, an area still occupied by Israeli forces. However, Israel's statement did not confirm whether the remains were those of a soldier. Hamas stated that the body was discovered after granting access to their teams and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Prior to this announcement, Hamas had returned the remains of 20 hostages since the ceasefire deal on October 10th. The deal involved Hamas releasing all 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israel. Hamas also promised to provide Israel with the remains of the deceased hostages but expressed difficulty in locating the bodies under the rubble in Gaza. Genetic testing will be crucial in confirming the identities of the remains. As of now, if the remains handed over on Tuesday are confirmed, it would mean the bodies of seven other hostages are still in Gaza. In the context of the broader conflict, for each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has released the remains of 15 Palestinians, resulting in the handover of 270 bodies so far. However, fewer than half of these remains have been identified due to a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza, which complicates forensic work. The US-brokered ceasefire has held, despite ongoing violence. Palestinian health authorities report that Israeli strikes have killed 239 people since the truce began, while Israel claims three of its soldiers have been killed. The conflict began when Hamas-led militants killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in their cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's response in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of over 68,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the enclave, though the breakdown between civilians and fighters is not specified.
