Israel hands over Palestinian remains in final exchange of ceasefire

Israel on Thursday handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza , marking the final hostage-detainee exchange under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement with Hamas, Gaza health officials said.

The transfer was facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the bodies were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to Zaher al-Wahidi, spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ceasefire’s initial phase focused on the return of all remaining hostages, both living and deceased. Under the agreement, Israel committed to returning 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage recovered. It remains unclear whether the bodies released on Thursday belonged to Palestinians who died in Israeli custody or were recovered by Israeli forces during military operations in Gaza.

Since the ceasefire came into effect, Israel has released around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were detained during the two-year conflict without formal charges. In addition, the remains of about 360 Palestinians have been returned to Gaza , where authorities face challenges in identifying them.

The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, has published photographs of the deceased to assist families in identification. Al-Wahidi said approximately 100 bodies handed over so far have been identified by relatives.

On Monday, Israel confirmed it had recovered and identified the remains of the last Israeli hostage, police officer Ran Gvili , following an extensive search at a cemetery in northern Gaza. Gvili, 24, was killed during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, while fighting militants. Known affectionately as “Rani,” his death had remained unresolved until this week.

The October 7 assault killed about 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of 251 hostages , triggering the war in Gaza.

The return of Gvili’s body closed a significant chapter in the first phase of the ceasefire and has cleared the way for negotiations on a more complex second phase. This next stage calls for the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza, and the reconstruction of the enclave.

However, violence has continued despite the truce. Health officials said Israeli fire killed two Palestinians on Thursday in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza. Another strike in central Gaza killed one person and wounded several others, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 492 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its casualty figures, though its data is widely regarded as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts.

The Israeli military has said some of those killed were near the ceasefire line separating Israeli-controlled zones from populated areas of Gaza and were targeted after posing threats to Israeli troops.

Meanwhile, officials said preparations are underway to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, the enclave’s main gateway to the outside world, which has largely remained closed since May 2024. For thousands of Palestinians separated from their families and those stranded outside Gaza, the reopening is seen as a crucial step toward restoring limited mobility after months of isolation.

Israeli authorities said the reopening would initially allow a limited number of wounded Palestinians to travel abroad for medical treatment. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the crossing would not yet be opened for commercial goods, and details on the scale of movement in and out of Gaza remain unclear.