Four deceased hostages’ coffins have entered Israel via the border, as confirmed by the Israeli military on Tuesday. The bodies are being transferred to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine for identification procedures, following their retrieval by Red Cross workers in Gaza and delivery to Israel. Israel reduced the aid allowed into the enclave due to Hamas not fulfilling the agreement to hand over the remaining hostages’ bodies. The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until the bodies are surrendered. The return of deceased hostages from Gaza has been slower than anticipated, with Hamas citing difficulties in locating burial sites among the rubble.
The Hostages Family Forum criticized Hamas for not returning all the bodies as agreed, describing it as a violation. Israeli officials identified two of the deceased hostages returned from Gaza as Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi from Nepal. Illouz succumbed to untreated wounds, while Joshi was reportedly murdered during captivity in the early stages of the war. Gaza health authorities received 45 bodies of Palestinians held by Israel, awaiting the official list of names for identification. The bodies showed signs of torture and some had their hands bound.
Despite the ceasefire, the Gaza Health Ministry reported seven Palestinians killed by Israeli fire. The situation raises concerns about long-term peace in Gaza, including disarmament of Hamas, governance, and reconstruction efforts. Trump highlighted the ceasefire deal brokered between Israel and Hamas as a step towards peace and emphasized the need for regional cooperation to address the challenges ahead.