Hamas has handed over the body of another deceased Israeli captive to the Red Cross, which is now transferring the remains to Israeli troops stationed in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. The exchange took place on Monday, only hours after an Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinians in southern Gaza, putting pressure on the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on October 10.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Hamas is required to return the bodies of 28 captives. So far, 16 bodies have been returned, while 20 surviving captives were released on October 13. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum has urged Israel, the United States, and other mediators to delay the next phase of the truce until all remaining bodies are recovered.
“Hamas knows exactly where every one of the deceased hostages is held,” the forum said in a statement.
Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya claimed that locating the bodies had become difficult due to Israel’s military operations, which had altered much of Gaza’s landscape. He added that several people who helped bury the captives were killed or had forgotten the burial locations.
Following these remarks, Israel permitted an Egyptian technical team to enter Gaza to assist in finding the remains, using excavators and trucks to search key areas.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high despite the ceasefire. On Monday, Israeli forces carried out a drone strike near Khan Younis, killing at least two people, according to reports from Nasser Hospital. Gaza’s Health Ministry said that eight Palestinians have been killed and 13 injured in Israeli attacks across the enclave over the past 48 hours. Since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023, the death toll has reached at least 68,527, with more than 170,000 people wounded.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Israel’s drone strike, saying it did not breach the ceasefire agreement. He claimed the strike targeted a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad who was allegedly planning an imminent attack on Israeli troops. “We don’t view that as a violation of the ceasefire,” Rubio said. “Israel has the right to defend itself from immediate threats.”
Despite the truce, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The United Nations reports that over 473,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, only to find destroyed homes, scarce food and water, and collapsed infrastructure.
Younis al-Khatib, head of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, stated that rebuilding people’s lives will be more difficult than reconstructing buildings. “Rebuilding human beings is more difficult than rebuilding destroyed homes,” he said during a visit to Oslo, where he met with Norway’s leadership.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one million people in Gaza now need mental health support, double the number before the war. UNICEF also reports that nearly all children in Gaza are suffering from trauma and require psychological care due to displacement, loss, and fear.
“Gaza has been the most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” said Tess Ingram, UNICEF’s spokesperson in Gaza, emphasizing the ongoing human cost of the conflict.
