Red Cross Transfers Remains of Three Israelis from Gaza As Tel Aviv Pressures Halt Ceasefire Progress
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday transferred to the Israeli regime the remains of three captives from Gaza, amid ongoing obstruction by Tel Aviv that has stalled the ceasefire’s second phase.
Israeli state broadcaster KAN reported that the Red Cross delivered the remains to the regime’s National Forensic Institute for examination.
No details were released on the circumstances or conditions surrounding the handover.
Since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, Hamas has released 20 living captives and handed over the remains of 19 others, most of them Israelis.
The Israeli regime, however, claimed one of the bodies did not match its list of captives — a move critics see as part of its continued political manipulation of the truce process.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the regime’s forces have killed 211 Palestinians and wounded 597 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Tel Aviv has conditioned any progress in negotiations for the second phase of the truce on receiving all hostage remains — a demand Hamas says is unrealistic given the scale of devastation inflicted on Gaza.
The first phase of the deal called for the release of Israeli captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
It also envisioned rebuilding Gaza and creating a new administrative structure independent of Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have massacred more than 68,500 Palestinians — mostly women and children — and injured over 170,600 others in Gaza.
