The Red Cross handed over to the IDF two coffins of dead hostages, which arrived at the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. At the same time, Hamas claims that as for the remaining 19 dead,"efforts will be required to search for them." Israel rejects the claims - and has sent mediators locations where the dead may have been buried: "Hamas can reach at least 10 more hostages"
Itamar Eichner, Lior Ben Ari, Einav Halabi, Yoav Zeiton|Updated:
Hamas handed over two coffins of kidnapped victims to the Red Cross last night (Wednesday), which were handed over to the IDF and arrived at the Institute of Forensic Medicine last night. At the same time, the terrorist organization claimed that it had returned all the living hostages to Israel - and all the victims"that we can reach." The meaning of this claim is that Hamas is effectively saying that 19 kidnapped victims are not "within its reach" for now."As for the remaining victims, reaching them requires great efforts and special equipment to search for and rescue them," the statement from Hamas' military wing read.
Israel rejects Hamas's announcement and claims that the terrorist organization could reach at least 10 more hostages. In the coming days, Egyptian and Turkish teams will operate in Gaza to search for additional hostages. Israel has provided mediators with reference points where hostages may be buried. Israel fears that this process could take weeks. The Israeli message is that Hamas must demonstrate 100% effort, and so far it does not appear to be making such an effort.
Two more coffins of dead hostages were delivered (Photo: AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)
The Prime Minister's Office said last night that "two coffins of deceased abductees were handed over to the IDF and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip. From there, they will be transferred to Israel, where they will be received in military honors by the Chief Military Rabbi. They will then be transferred to the Ministry of Health's National Center for Forensic Medicine. At the end of the identification process, an official announcement will be made to the families." It also said that "all the families of the abductees have been informed of the matter, and our hearts go out to them at this difficult time. The effort to return our abductees continues continuously and will not stop until the last abductee is returned. The public is asked to respect the families' privacy and refrain from spreading rumors and information that is not official and well-founded."
The IDF spokesman and Shin Bet spokeswoman announced after the Prime Minister's Office that "the two coffins of the deceased abductees, escorted by IDF forces, recently crossed the border into the territory of the State of Israel and are making their way to the National Center for Forensic Medicine, where an identification procedure will be carried out. IDF representatives are accompanying the family members. The IDF requests that they act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be given to the families of the deceased abductees."
in parallel,
United States President Donald Trump said
In a brief conversation with CNN today, he said he would allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume the war in Gaza - if Hamas refuses to uphold its part of the ceasefire agreement. According to Trump,"Israel can return to the streets of Gaza as soon as I give the signal. What's happening with Hamas - will be fixed quickly."
Yesterday, Israel estimated that Hamas would hand over two dead hostages, but later the Qatari Al-Arabi channel reported that five would be handed over. However, according to a statement from the organization published in the evening, only two hostages were indeed released. At the beginning of the negotiations, Hamas claimed that it knew of the presence of 14 dead - and the security establishment insists that the terrorist organization knows about more. The other day, Ynet reported that Hamas had originally planned to hand over a small number of dead, but there were estimates that it might hand over more - as compensation for
Handing over the body of the Palestinian
Yesterday, instead of the body of a kidnapped spaceman.
American sources familiar with the details told Ynet that Steve Witkoff, President Trump's envoy who was also involved in the deal to release the hostages alive,"is very involved in the incident. He's pressing the pedal and won't let Hamas play games." According to them, Witkoff"entered the incident with all his might. He won't give up. There is an effort to increase the number of casualties that will be returned because according to estimates, Hamas has a high double-digit number of casualties. It will probably take time for them to reach them, and in the meantime, Egyptian intelligence is also entering the incident because they know the area. The Turks are entering with forces (who will search for casualties as part of the international force, the establishment of which was revealed on Ynet), but they don't have good familiarity with the area."
Earlier yesterday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that in exchange for the three kidnapped civilians who were returned to Israel last night -
Tamir Nimrudi, Eitan Levy and the late Uriel Baruch
- Israel released 45 bodies of Palestinians - in accordance with the release key stipulated in the agreement - 15 bodies for every hostage residing in Israel.
After identification operations that lasted all night, it became clear, as mentioned, that one of the four bodies transferred to Israel last night did not match any of the abductees. This is not the first time that
Hamas handed over a Palestinian body to Israel instead of an Israeli one
, but in Israel they estimated that the terrorist organization probably made an unintentional mistake in transferring the body because the Gazan was wearing an IDF uniform."It is better for him to bring bodies that turn out to be misidentified, than to wait for them to make a definite identification - which would take more time," they said yesterday.
Senior Israeli officials opposed the assessment, claiming that"the decision to send the body of a Palestinian dressed in an IDF uniform was deliberate and infuriating, but does not constitute a violation of the agreement." Israel is in no hurry to break the rules and is preparing to return the remaining dead, and Shin Bet and IDF representatives even arrived in Cairo to press for the implementation of the agreement with the mediators.
Meanwhile, after examining the sanctions against Hamas, it was learned that the Rafah crossing did not open yesterday for Gazans to enter and exit. The day before yesterday, Israel announced that this was a sanction against Hamas in light of the violation of the agreement, but yesterday a security source also claimed that there were also logistical difficulties."There were and are preparations to open the Rafah crossing," the source explained."Due to the issue of the delay in the martyrs, a recommendation was made to the political echelon not to open, but because of the return of the martyrs and the promises that Israel received, preparations are continuing to open the crossing. It will not open today (meaning yesterday) and it is also not known when it will open."
The source noted yesterday that, logistically, before the crossing opens,"you have to go down to the area, check and send an advance team. That takes time." However, he said,"it is also possible to estimate that in light of the fact that the fourth body is not that of a kidnapped person, they will decide to keep the Rafah crossing closed tomorrow as well."
Because Israel believes there was a mistake in transferring the body, no sanctions will be imposed on Hamas. In the meantime, the source said, 600 aid trucks will enter the Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing in accordance with the agreement, after yesterday's intention to reduce the number to 300.
First published: 17:55, 15.10.25
