Israel hands over 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza in a US-brokered ceasefire deal, bringing the total bodies returned to 345, says Hamas-run health ministry.
GAZA CITY: The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza announced Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Wednesday as part of a US-brokered ceasefire exchange.
The ministry confirmed the bodies were received via the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“This brings the total number of bodies received to 345,” the ministry stated.
A medical source at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis verified the hospital received 15 bodies through the Red Cross.
Under the October 10 ceasefire agreement, Israel must transfer 15 Palestinian bodies for every deceased Israeli hostage returned.
Wednesday’s transfer exchanged for the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or, whose body militants handed to Israel on Tuesday.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said the handover “reflects Hamas’s steadfast commitment to fully complete the exchange process.”
The last two hostage bodies remaining in Gaza are Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.
At the ceasefire’s start, militants held 20 living hostages and 28 deceased captives.
Hamas has since released all living hostages and returned 26 dead hostages’ remains.
Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned hundreds of Palestinian bodies in exchange.
