Hamas has delivered the remains of one of the last two deceased hostages in Gaza as part of the October ceasefire agreement, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that Israeli forces received the “findings” for forensic testing.
The remaining deceased hostages are Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer, and Sudthisak Rinthalak from Thailand, both abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a two-year war in Gaza.
The ICRC, based in Geneva, has been facilitating communication between Gaza militant groups and Israel during the conflict, assisting in the release of hostages and the transfer of remains.
In another development, a Palestinian freelance journalist named Mahmoud Wadi was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, as reported by local health authorities. The Israeli military alleged that Wadi was involved in the October 2023 attack by Hamas, although Reuters could not independently verify this claim.
Additionally, another Palestinian journalist was injured in the same Israeli strike, according to Gaza authorities.
Later reports indicated that Israeli tank shells struck a house in a Gaza City suburb, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to 15 others. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the incident.
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas-led militants carried out an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals, mostly civilians, and the abduction of 251 hostages, according to Israeli reports. The Gaza Health Ministry has confirmed that over 70,000 individuals, primarily civilians, have been killed in Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Since the ceasefire on October 10, Israel has continued to conduct strikes in Gaza, targeting what it claims to be Hamas infrastructure. Both Hamas and Israel have accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S.
According to Gaza health authorities, at least 357 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, while Israeli authorities reported that three Israeli soldiers were killed during the same period.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) documented the deaths of 201 journalists and media workers in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon, where the conflict spilled over after the initial attack in 2023.
Among the casualties were journalists affiliated with Reuters. The CPJ highlighted that Israel has not conducted formal investigations or held anyone accountable for the killings of journalists by its military.
Israeli military spokespersons have maintained that they target combatants and military sites, avoid civilian casualties, and warn of risks in active combat zones. They have alleged, at times without verifiable evidence, that some journalists were targeted due to their alleged links to Hamas, a claim denied by their news organizations.
