Israel Reports Mismatch in Body Returned by Hamas Amid Ceasefire Tensions

The Israeli military announced Wednesday that one of the four bodies transferred by Hamas as part of the ceasefire agreement does not match any of the hostages held in Gaza. This development adds strain to the already fragile truce in the ongoing conflict.

On Tuesday, Hamas returned four bodies to Israel, following the release of the last 20 living hostages on Monday. Israel had been anticipating the return of 28 deceased hostages in total. The military stated that after examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body did not correspond to any known hostage. The identity of the individual remains unknown.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of Hamas adhering to the ceasefire terms, particularly concerning the return of hostages' bodies. He stated, "We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one."

The U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan required all hostages, both living and deceased, to be returned by a deadline that expired on Monday. If this was not achieved, Hamas was expected to provide information about deceased hostages and facilitate their return promptly.

This incident is not unprecedented. Earlier this year, during a previous ceasefire, Hamas returned a body that was later identified as a Palestinian woman, instead of the expected hostage. The correct body was returned the following day.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Kassem stated that the group is working to return the bodies of the hostages as agreed in the ceasefire deal. He accused Israel of violating the agreement due to shootings in eastern Gaza City and Rafah.

In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz asserted that the military is operating within the agreed deployment lines and warned that any approach to these lines would be met with force, as occurred on Tuesday with several militants.

Two of the hostages whose bodies were released are scheduled for burial on Wednesday. The families have invited the public to join the procession from the forensics institute to a cemetery north of Tel Aviv. In previous instances, thousands of Israelis have lined the streets to pay their respects during such processions.

Humanitarian aid to Gaza, which had been paused due to the prisoner and hostage exchange and a Jewish holiday, is set to resume. Egypt's state-run Al-Qahera News reported that aid trucks will move from Egypt toward the crossing with Israel for security inspections before entering Gaza. However, Israel's defense body overseeing humanitarian aid, COGAT, has notified organizations that only half of the 600 daily aid trucks stipulated in the deal will be allowed, citing the slow release of deceased hostages.

An Israeli official, speaking anonymously, stated that Israel has accepted the comprehensive 20-point plan and expects all parties to do the same. The plan calls for the same amount of aid entering Gaza as in a previous ceasefire earlier this year—600 trucks per day.

On Monday, Israel celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages, while Palestinians rejoiced at Israel's release of approximately 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire's first phase. Families of hostages have expressed concern over the limited number of deceased hostages being returned. Hamas and the Red Cross have indicated that recovering remains is challenging due to Gaza's extensive destruction, with some remains located in areas controlled by Israeli troops.

By Monday night, Hamas had released four bodies, followed by four more late on Tuesday. The first four were identified as hostages, and of the second group, three were identified: Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levi. Baruch was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza. Nimrodi, serving with the Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza, was taken from the Erez border crossing. Levi was kidnapped while driving a friend to Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas attack.