The Israeli military has announced that one of the bodies recently returned by Hamas is not among the hostages who were held in Gaza, raising new questions amid an already fragile ceasefire agreement.
On Tuesday, Hamas handed over four bodies as part of ongoing efforts to ease tensions and uphold the ceasefire, following the earlier return of four bodies on Monday. The move came after the release of the final 20 living hostages, while Israel continues to await the return of the remains of 28 deceased hostages.
In a statement, the Israeli military said, “Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his demand that Hamas honor all commitments outlined in the ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, which includes the return of all hostages’ bodies.
“We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one,” Netanyahu stated.
The development threatens to strain the fragile truce, even as both sides face mounting international pressure to maintain peace and ensure full compliance with the ceasefire terms.