Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Nov 1: In a development that could jeopardize the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Israeli authorities on Saturday confirmed that the remains of three individuals handed over by Hamas earlier this week do not belong to any of the hostages held in Gaza.

The handover had initially appeared as a positive step following Israel’s return of 30 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Friday part of an ongoing exchange process that had earlier seen militants turn over the remains of two hostages. However, Israeli officials later determined that the three bodies returned late Friday were not those of any Israeli captives.

A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, had earlier indicated that Israeli intelligence already suspected the remains were unrelated to the hostages abducted during Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel an attack that triggered the ongoing conflict.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the findings without disclosing further details.

In a statement, Hamas’ armed wing said it had provided the remains to “stop Israel’s claims” and that the transfer was intended to clarify earlier disputes over identification. The group claimed that Israel had initially refused to accept “samples” of unidentified bodies for testing.

The identities of the returned remains remain unknown.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 under U.S. mediation, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 17 hostages held in Gaza for nearly two years. However, progress on the truce deal which calls for the return of 11 more hostages has slowed, with only one or two bodies being released every few days.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel has so far returned 225 Palestinian bodies since the truce began, though only 75 have been identified by families. It remains unclear whether these individuals died in Israeli custody, during the October 7 attack, or in the course of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The ceasefire faced its most severe test earlier this week when Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes across Gaza that killed over 100 people, following the death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah and delays in the return of hostages raising fears of a renewed escalation in the region.