Late in the evening on November 2, the bodies of three hostages were handed over to intermediaries representing the Red Cross, after which they were sent to Israel for examination.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the examination confirmed the authenticity of the remains, and they will now be handed over to the families for subsequent burial.
All three hostages were military personnel: Colonel Asaf Hamami, Captain Omer Neutra, and Senior Sergeant Oz Daniel. They were killed in combat on the day of the Hamas attack on Israel, October 7, 2023, after which their bodies were taken to Gaza.
As part of the ceasefire agreement, Hamas released all 20 living hostages in their captivity and also promised to return the remains of all the deceased. However, the bodies of eight more individuals have still not been handed over.
On the other hand, Israel released nearly two thousand prisoners from its jails, including those convicted of terrorism and those held without trial, and also handed over the bodies of 360 Palestinian militants.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was established on October 10. Both sides continue to accuse each other of violations. Israel is conducting limited strikes on the Gaza Strip, claiming that this is a response to attacks by militants on Israeli soldiers. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, since the peace agreement was reached, 236 people have died as a result of Israeli airstrikes.
