Israel has recently received a deceased body from Hamas in Gaza, marking one of the final two hostages to be returned. The body, transferred to the Israeli military by the Red Cross, will undergo forensic identification, according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that five Israeli soldiers were wounded in a militant attack in southern Gaza, vowing a proportional response.
Following the attack, Israel retaliated by launching an airstrike on a Hamas militant in southern Gaza. Earlier, Hamas had handed over remains that were later confirmed not to belong to any hostages. Returning the bodies of the last two hostages in Gaza fulfills a crucial condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the two-year Gaza conflict, which also involves reopening the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt in both directions.
The Rafah crossing has been closed since the ceasefire began in October, with Israel insisting on the return of all hostages before reopening the crossing. Hamas has already returned 20 living hostages and 26 bodies in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners. However, two deceased captives, an Israeli police officer and a Thai agricultural worker, remain in Gaza.
The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Al Quds Brigades, announced the discovery of a hostage body in northern Gaza. The body was handed over to the Red Cross by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, although they did not specify which hostage it belonged to. The two remaining deceased hostages are Ran Gvili, an Israeli police officer, and Sudthisak Rinthalak, a Thai national, both kidnapped during a 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs, stated that the reopening of the Rafah crossing would be coordinated with Egypt under the supervision of a European Union mission. Before the conflict, the Rafah crossing was crucial for Palestinians in Gaza to access the outside world and receive aid. Currently, thousands of patients in Gaza require medical care outside the enclave.
Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to target Gaza and conduct demolitions, alleging violations by Hamas. Health officials reported two Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire in Gaza City, with the Israeli military investigating the incident. The conflict has led to over 350 Palestinian deaths and three Israeli soldier casualties, with the initial attack by Hamas in 2023 resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
