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JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel received the remains of two much hostages Wednesday, hours aft the Israeli subject said that 1 of the bodies antecedently turned implicit was not that of a hostage. The disorder added to tensions implicit the fragile truce that has paused the two-year war.
The coffins carrying the remains were transferred by the Red Cross from Hamas. Upon returning to Israel, they were sent to a forensic laboratory successful Tel Aviv. The subject successful a connection cautioned that the hostages’ identities had yet to beryllium verified.
Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said it received 45 much bodies of Palestinians from Israel, different measurement successful implementation of the ceasefire agreement. That brought to 90 the full fig of bodies returned to Gaza for burial. The forensics squad examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment.
As portion of the deal, 4 bodies of hostages were handed implicit by Hamas connected Tuesday, pursuing 4 connected Monday that were returned hours aft the past 20 surviving hostages were released from Gaza. In all, Israel has been awaiting the instrumentality of the bodies of 28 hostages.
The Israeli subject said forensic investigating showed that "the 4th assemblage handed implicit to Israel by Hamas does not lucifer immoderate of the hostages." There was nary contiguous connection connected whose assemblage it was.
In speech for the merchandise of the hostages, Israel freed astir 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees Monday.
Unidentified bodies returned to Gaza amusement signs of abuse
Israel is expected to crook implicit much bodies, though officials person not said however galore are successful its custody oregon however galore volition beryllium returned. It is unclear whether the remains beryllium to Palestinians who died successful Israeli custody oregon were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops. Throughout the war, Israel’s subject has exhumed bodies arsenic portion of its hunt for the remains of hostages.
As forensic teams examined the archetypal remains returned, the Health Ministry connected Wednesday released images of 32 unidentified bodies to assistance families admit missing relatives.
Many appeared decomposed oregon burned. Some were missing limbs oregon teeth, portion others were coated successful soil and dust. Health officials person said Israeli restrictions connected allowing DNA investigating instrumentality into Gaza person often forced morgues to trust connected carnal features and covering for identification.
The forensics squad that received the bodies said immoderate arrived inactive shackled oregon bearing signs of carnal abuse.
Sameh Hamad, a subordinate of a committee tasked with receiving the bodies astatine Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital, said immoderate arrived with their hands and legs cuffed.
“There are signs of torture and executions,” helium told The Associated Press.
The bodies, helium said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands connected their necks, including 1 that had a enactment astir the neck.
Most of the bodies wore civilian clothing, but immoderate were successful uniforms, suggesting they were militants.
Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for lone 3 of the dead, leaving galore families uncertain of their relatives’ fate. The warring has killed astir 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which is portion of the Hamas-run authorities successful Gaza. The ministry maintains elaborate casualty records that are seen arsenic mostly reliable by U.N. agencies and autarkic experts.
Thousands much radical are missing, according to the Red Cross and Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
Rasmiya Qudeih, 52, waited extracurricular Nasser Hospital, hoping her lad would beryllium among the 45 bodies transferred Wednesday from Israel.
He vanished connected Oct. 7, 2023, the time of the Hamas-led onslaught that triggered the war. She was told helium was killed by an Israeli strike.
“God willing, helium volition beryllium with the bodies," she said.
Netanyahu says Israel won't compromise
The ceasefire program introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump had called for each hostages — surviving and dormant — to beryllium handed implicit by a deadline that expired Monday. But nether the deal, if that didn’t happen, Hamas was to stock accusation astir deceased hostages and effort to manus them implicit arsenic soon arsenic possible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel “will not compromise” and demanded that Hamas fulfill the requirements laid retired successful the ceasefire woody astir the instrumentality of hostages’ bodies.
Trump, successful an interrogation with CNN, warned that Israel could resume the warfare if helium feels Hamas isn't upholding its extremity of the agreement.
“Israel volition instrumentality to those streets arsenic soon arsenic I accidental the word," Trump said.
Hamas’ equipped helping said successful a connection Wednesday that the radical honored the ceasefire’s presumption and handed implicit the remains of the hostages it had entree to.
Hamas has assured the U.S. done intermediaries that it is moving to instrumentality dormant hostages, according to 2 elder U.S. advisers. The advisers, who were not authorized to remark publically and briefed reporters connected the information of anonymity, said they bash not judge Hamas has violated the deal.
The wide demolition successful the territory has analyzable the retrieval of the dead, the officials added. One of the advisers said debris arsenic good arsenic unexploded weapons adhd to the difficulty.
Hamas has told mediators that immoderate bodies are successful areas controlled by Israeli troops.
This is not the archetypal clip Hamas has returned a incorrect assemblage to Israel. During a erstwhile ceasefire, the radical said it handed implicit the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her 2 sons, who were among those taken successful Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught connected Israel, successful which immoderate 1,200 radical were killed and 251 abducted.
Testing successful February 2025 showed that 1 of the bodies returned was identified arsenic a Palestinian woman. Bibas’ assemblage was returned a time later.
More assistance bound for Gaza
The World Food Program said its trucks began arriving successful Gaza aft the entranceway of humanitarian assistance into Gaza was paused for 2 days owed to the speech connected Monday and a Jewish vacation Tuesday.
The timing of the scaled-up deliveries — which are portion of the ceasefire woody — was called into question aft Israel said Tuesday that it would chopped the fig of trucks allowed into Gaza, saying Hamas was excessively dilatory to instrumentality the hostages' bodies.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said 400 trucks carrying food, substance and aesculapian supplies were bound for Gaza connected Wednesday. The Israeli defence assemblage overseeing humanitarian assistance successful Gaza, COGAT, declined to remark connected the fig of trucks expected to participate Gaza.
Magdy reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman successful Tel Aviv, Israel, Sarah El Deeb successful Cairo and Michelle Price and Aamer Madhani successful Washington contributed to this report.
