Hamas Returns Remains of Three Israeli Hostages Amid Gaza Ceasefire

As part of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement, Hamas has transferred the remains of three Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which then delivered the coffins to Israeli Defense Forces inside the Gaza Strip. The remains were reportedly found in a tunnel in southern Gaza and are en route to Israel for identification at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv. This handover follows previous transfers, with 17 sets of remains returned so far, while 11 more hostages' bodies remain in Gaza amid challenges locating and identifying them due to widespread devastation and limited forensic resources. Israel has been releasing Palestinian remains in exchange, but tensions persist as some returned remains were found not to match any missing hostages, leading to ongoing military actions. Both sides continue to navigate the complexities of the ceasefire, which has seen intermittent violence despite prisoner exchanges and the recovery of bodies. Egypt and the Red Cross have assisted in rubble searches to facilitate the recovery efforts amidst the challenging conditions in Gaza.