The remains of three people handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross this week do not belong to any of the hostages, an Israeli military official said Saturday, the latest development that could undermine the US-brokered agreement for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The handover followed Israel’s return on Friday of the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza. That completed an exchange after militants earlier this week turned over remains of two hostages, a sign that the tense Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement was edging forward.
The unidentified remains of the three people were returned late Friday to Israel, where they were being examined overnight. At the time, another Israeli military official warned that Israeli intelligence suggested they did not belong to any of the hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that sparked the war.
Read moreIsrael returns remains of 30 Palestinians to Gaza as part of exchange deal
The second Israeli military official confirmed on Saturday they were not of any hostages. It was unclear who they might be and why they were returned to Israel.
Both officials spoke to The Associated Press of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
A Hamas spokesman did not immediately answer calls and messages seeking a comment.
Since the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 17 hostages that were held in Gaza for the past two years.
But the process of returning the bodies of the last 11 remaining hostages, as called for under the truce deal, is progressing slowly, with militants releasing just one or two bodies every few days.
Read moreIsrael receives remains of two deceased hostages from Red Cross
The total number of Palestinian bodies returned by Israel since the ceasefire began now stands at 225. Only 75 of those have been identified by families, according to Gaza’s health ministry. It is unclear if those returned were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 attack, whether they died in Israeli custody as detainees or were recovered from Gaza by troops during the war.
The fragile truce faced its biggest challenge earlier this week when Israel carried out strikes across Gaza that killed more than 100 people, following the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, and the incomplete return of hostages.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
