(Web Desk) - Israel has returned the bodies of 45 Palestinians to Gaza, bringing the total transferred under the ceasefire agreement to 270, the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry reported.
The ceasefire, brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, stipulated that Israel would release 15 Palestinian bodies for every deceased Israeli returned.
On Monday, Israel confirmed that the remains handed over by Hamas the previous day belonged to three hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attack: Captain Omer Neutra, Corporal Oz Daniel, and Colonel Assaf Hamami.
Slow identification of bodies continues in Gaza The Red Cross facilitated the transfer of 45 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Monday morning. Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson for the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that Nasser Hospital received the bodies around noon.
So far, only 78 of all returned bodies have been identified, the ministry said. Forensic work is hampered by a shortage of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The ministry posts photos of the remains online in the hope that families can recognize them.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office identified the three hostages returned to Israel on Sunday night as Capt. Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli; Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel; and Col. Assaf Hamami. Hamas had earlier said the remains were discovered on Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza.
Neutra, 21, was abducted along with his tank crew by Hamas militants on October 7, 2023, when the war began. The Israeli military had confirmed his death in December 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday he had spoken with Neutra’s family, noting their mix of relief and heartbreak.
Daniel, 19, was also taken from his tank on October 7, along with three crew members. His remains were returned; he is survived by his parents and twin sister.
Hamami, commander of Israel’s southern brigade in Gaza, was killed defending Kibbutz Nirim on the first day of the conflict, along with two soldiers whose bodies were also taken to Gaza. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Militants have returned one or two bodies every few days. Israel has called for faster identification and, in some cases, clarified that returned remains were not those of any hostage. Hamas has said the process is slowed by the extensive destruction across Gaza.