Assalamu alaikum - More remains of hostages handed over, ID confusion raises tensions
Assalamu alaikum. May Allah have mercy on all the victims. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it received the remains of two more hostages on Wednesday, just hours after Israeli military officials said one of the bodies previously handed over wasn’t actually a hostage. That mix-up has added to tensions around the fragile truce that has paused the two‑year war.
Israeli forces were to receive the remains from the Red Cross in Gaza. Earlier on Wednesday, military officials said one of the bodies previously returned by Hamas did not match any of the hostages held in Gaza. At the same time, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported getting 45 more Palestinian bodies from Israel - bringing the total returned for burial to 90 so far. The forensic team said many of the remains showed signs of mistreatment.
Under the ceasefire deal, four bodies were handed over by Hamas on Tuesday, following four returned on Monday after the last 20 living hostages were released from Gaza. Israel has said it is still waiting for the bodies of 28 hostages. Military forensic tests, officials said, showed the fourth body given to Israel did not match any listed hostages; there was no immediate word on whose remains it was.
In return for the release of the living hostages, Israel freed about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Monday. Authorities expect more bodies to be turned over, though they haven’t said how many are in Israeli custody or how many will be returned. It’s not clear whether some of the remains came from Palestinians who died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by troops.
As forensic teams looked at the first remains, Gaza’s Health Ministry released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families try to recognize loved ones. Many looked decomposed or burned, some missing limbs or teeth, others covered in sand and dust. Health officials say limits on DNA testing equipment entering Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for ID.
Medical teams said some bodies arrived still shackled or showing signs of physical abuse. Sameh Hamad, on the commission receiving bodies at Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with hands and legs cuffed. “There are signs of torture and executions,” he told reporters. The remains ranged in age from about 25 to 70, many had bands around their necks, and one had a rope around the neck. Most wore civilian clothes, though some wore uniforms, which could suggest fighters. The Red Cross reportedly provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, run by the de facto authorities there, says the fighting has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians; thousands more are missing, according to the Red Cross and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Outside Nasser Hospital, 52‑year‑old Rasmiya Qudeih waited, hoping her son was among the 45 bodies transferred on Wednesday. He disappeared on Oct. 7, 2023, the day the attacks happened that set off this war. She was told he was killed by an Israeli strike. “Insha’Allah he will be among the bodies,” she said.
On the political side, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “will not compromise” and demanded Hamas meet the ceasefire’s terms on returning bodies. Former US President Donald Trump warned in an interview that Israel could resume the war if he felt Hamas wasn’t keeping its side, saying, “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word.”
Hamas’ armed wing said it honored the ceasefire terms and handed over the remains it had access to. Both Hamas and the Red Cross say recovering bodies is hard because of Gaza’s heavy destruction and because some areas are under Israeli control. Two of the released bodies were being buried on Wednesday.
May Allah grant patience to the grieving families and make this process bring closure. Please keep the victims and their families in your duas.
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