Daijiworld Media Network - Deir Al-Balah

Deir Al-Balah, Oct 18: Israel on Friday received the remains of another hostage from Gaza, the Prime Minister’s office said, as Hamas continued efforts to uphold a ceasefire by using bulldozers to search for bodies under war-ravaged buildings in the enclave. The Israeli military and security services received the coffin from the International Committee of the Red Cross inside Gaza, and it was to be sent to the Ministry of Health's National Center for Forensic Medicine in Israel. Families will be informed first after formal identification.

Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, indicated that the remains belonged to an “occupation prisoner,” likely an Israeli, rather than one of the hostages of other nationalities taken in Gaza. The handover of hostages’ remains has been a key element of the ceasefire, alongside aid deliveries, opening border crossings, and reconstruction efforts, supported by the international community to end two years of devastating conflict in Gaza.

This week, Hamas handed over nine bodies of hostages to Israel, with a tenth identified as not a hostage. The retrieval process follows warnings from US President Donald Trump, who said Israel may resume the war if Hamas fails to return all 28 hostages’ remains. Israeli security services emphasized that Hamas must uphold the agreement and return all deceased hostages.

Hamas cited destroyed tunnels and buildings, requiring heavy machinery to retrieve some bodies, and blamed Israel for not allowing additional bulldozers into Gaza. Much of Gaza’s equipment was destroyed during the war triggered by the October 7, 2023 attacks, leaving limited resources for clearing rubble. On Friday, two bulldozers worked in Hamad City, Khan Younis, where Israeli forces had repeatedly bombed apartment towers during the war.

While handovers continue, Hamas has urged faster aid flows, opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt, and immediate reconstruction. The ceasefire plan, introduced by Trump, had set a deadline for all hostages’ handovers, but if delayed, Hamas was to provide information and hand over remains as soon as possible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Israel “will not compromise” on the return of hostages’ bodies.

All 20 living Israeli hostages were released on Monday in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israel has also returned 90 Palestinian bodies for burial and is expected to release more. Palestinian forensic teams said some remains showed signs of mistreatment.

The war has claimed nearly 68,000 Palestinian lives, with thousands missing. France, Britain, and the US are preparing a UN resolution to establish an international force in Gaza, with Arab countries expected to contribute troops.

New details emerged about Trump administration reactions to an Israeli strike last month on Hamas’ political headquarters in Qatar, just as leaders were considering a US ceasefire proposal. Envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Jared Kushner felt “a little bit betrayed” by the attack, which came before Trump later outlined the ceasefire contours with Netanyahu at the White House.

Aid flows remain constrained due to closed crossings. Since the ceasefire began, 339 UN trucks have been offloaded for Gaza, though 600 trucks per day are allowed. The World Food Program has sent over 280 trucks weighing about 3,000 metric tons to support bakeries, nutrition programs, and general distribution. Gaza’s private truckers’ union said improved security prevented looting, though only 70 trucks entered on Thursday.

Gaza’s population of over 2 million hopes the ceasefire will ease the humanitarian crisis. The UN has verified over 400 famine-related deaths, including more than 100 children. Israel claims it allowed enough food, accusing Hamas of theft, which aid agencies deny.