PALESTINIAN militant group Hamas has handed over the bodies of two deceased Israeli hostages, a day after a shaky ceasefire in Gaza was rattled by deadly Israeli airstrikes across the besieged enclave.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed late Thursday that the bodies of Amiram Cooper and Sahar Baruch had been returned following an identification process and were brought back to Israel for burial.
Under the current ceasefire deal, Hamas agreed to release all living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel temporarily withdrew troops, paused its offensive, and allowed increased humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The agreement also required Hamas to hand over the remains of 28 deceased hostages in return for 360 Palestinian fighters killed during the conflict.
As of Thursday, 15 bodies had been repatriated. Israel has accused Hamas of delaying the handover of the remaining hostages’ remains, while Hamas claims it needs more time to locate and recover the bodies buried under Gaza’s massive destruction.
Families of the deceased hostages have pleaded for a chance to give their loved ones a proper burial, fearing their remains could be lost amid the ruins.
Thousands of Palestinians remain missing and are believed to be buried under the debris of flattened neighborhoods.
OBSTACLE TO TRUMP’S GAZA PEACE PLAN
The dispute over the recovery and return of hostages’ remains has become one of the hurdles complicating U.S.
President Donald Trump’s broader plan is to bring a lasting end to the Gaza war. Other sticking points include the future governance of Gaza and calls for Hamas to disarm, issues that continue to divide negotiators.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the fragile truce. From Tuesday into Wednesday, Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes following a Palestinian attack that killed one Israeli soldier.
Gaza health officials reported 104 deaths, including 46 children and 20 women, from the Israeli bombardment. The IDF said its strikes targeted “dozens of militants.”
RENEWED AIRSTRIKES ON THRUSDAY
Witnesses reported around 10 Israeli airstrikes early Thursday in areas east of Khan Younis, while tanks shelled positions east of Gaza City. No casualties were immediately reported.
The Israeli military said the operations were “precise strikes” on “terrorist infrastructure posing threats to troops” stationed in parts of Gaza still under Israeli presence.
Residents expressed deep fear of renewed fighting.
“We’re scared that another war will break out,” said Fathi Al-Najjar, a displaced resident in Khan Younis. “We’ve already suffered two years of displacement. We don’t know where to go anymore.”
At a nearby tent camp, children fetched water from makeshift containers as women cooked over clay firewood stoves.
The ongoing conflict has displaced the majority of Gaza’s two million residents, many of whom have been uprooted multiple times and remain too afraid to return home.