Israel said on Saturday that the three bodies it received from Gaza were not among its remaining hostages. The handover, mediated by the Red Cross, came as Hamas reported new Israeli strikes in southern Gaza despite a fragile truce.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had transferred unidentified bodies after Israel refused to take samples for testing. The group said it acted to “preempt enemy claims.” Since the truce began on October 10, Hamas has returned 20 surviving hostages and the remains of 17 others, including 15 Israelis, one Thai, and one Nepalese.
Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the return of hostages, while Hamas says locating remains in Gaza’s rubble takes time. The Palestinian group urged mediators and the Red Cross to provide proper equipment for simultaneous recovery efforts.
Reports from Gaza described overnight air strikes and shelling from Israeli warships near Khan Yunis. Civilians like Hisham al-Bardai say they still face gunfire and shortages despite the ceasefire. Many displaced families continue to live in tents, with little hope of rebuilding soon.
Talks on implementing later stages of the US-backed ceasefire plan, including a UN-approved stabilisation force, remain unresolved.
