The military wing of Hamas announced today that it will hand over the remains of two Israeli hostages found in Gaza, after Israel conditioned the reopening of the Rafah border on the return of the hostages’ bodies.
The Ezzedine al-Qassam brigades reported that the bodies of two Israeli prisoners whose remains were found in the Gaza Strip today will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Shortly before, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had confirmed that Rafah will remain closed “until further notice”, and that its reopening depends “on Hamas fulfilling its obligations regarding the return of hostages and the bodies of those killed, as well as the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement”.
The Rafah crossing, considered vital for the entry of humanitarian aid, has been under Israeli control since May 2024 and has remained closed, with the exception of brief periods during truces.
Meanwhile, United Nations humanitarian coordinator Tom Fletcher visited the city of Gaza, devastated by two years of war, highlighting “the monumental task” of international agencies to restore basic services.
Fletcher unveiled a 60-day plan to distribute one million meals a day, rebuild medical infrastructure and return hundreds of thousands of children to schools.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas committed to releasing all hostages, living and dead, by October 13.
The group has since handed over the last 20 hostages alive, but only ten of the 28 bodies it had in its possession.
Tel Aviv accused Hamas of “violating the agreement” by delays in returns, guaranteeing that it “will spare no effort” until all hostages return.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem stated that the movement maintains its commitment, but claimed that “the identification and recovery of bodies takes time” and denounced “multiple violations of the ceasefire” by Israel.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, the Israeli offensive has so far caused 68,116 deaths, most of them civilians.
Local authorities estimate that around 10,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble.