Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Nov 27: Israel on Wednesday handed over the bodies of 15 Palestinians, a day after Hamas returned the remains of an Israeli hostage, marking the latest exchange under the US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect last month. The first phase of the fragile truce is nearing its end, even as violence continues across Gaza and the West Bank.
According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, the remains of two more hostages — an Israeli and a Thai national abducted during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack — are yet to be returned. Hamas has said it remains committed to handing them over but claims recovery efforts are slowed by the widespread destruction in Gaza. Israel, however, accuses the group of delaying the process ever since the last living hostages were freed on October 13 during the most urgent stage of the deal.
Turkish, Qatari and Egyptian mediators met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire’s second phase. Plans under consideration include deploying an armed International Stabilization Force to oversee the disarmament of Hamas — a key condition set by Israel — and forming an international administrative structure to govern Gaza and lead reconstruction efforts. However, significant uncertainty persists over the timeline and viability of the proposals.
Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel has agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every hostage recovered. The Gaza Health Ministry said that so far, 345 bodies have been transferred, though it remains unclear whether they include Palestinians killed on October 7 inside Israel, detainees who died in Israeli custody, or bodies removed from Gaza by Israeli forces during the war.
Israel, meanwhile, mourned the return of the latest hostage, Dror Or. According to the Hostages Families Forum, Or and his wife, Yonat, were killed in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 after helping their children escape their burning home. The two children were later abducted and released in a hostage deal in November 2023. Or, remembered as a devoted father and skilled cheesemaker, had managed the Be’eri dairy for years.
The October 7 assault by Palestinian militants left around 1,200 people dead in southern Israel and 251 abducted.
Amid the ongoing truce, violence flared again in several parts of Gaza on Wednesday. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that Israeli troops opened fire on civilians in central Gaza, killing one man and injuring at least two others. The Israeli military said it had insufficient information to comment.
Separately, Israeli forces said they carried out targeted strikes in Rafah, killing a militant who had emerged from an underground tunnel system, followed by three more killed in a nearby building and two others apprehended. Later in the day, two more militants — including one from Islamic Jihad — were shot dead in separate encounters in southern Gaza.
In the occupied West Bank, Israel said it launched airstrikes and a “broad counterterrorism operation” in the north after killing three individuals allegedly involved in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that at least 69,775 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war — including 345 deaths recorded after the ceasefire began — with more than 170,863 injured. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, it has consistently stated that women and children constitute a majority of the casualties.