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Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, on Tuesday handed over the remains of another Israeli hostage to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of the ongoing ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza.
According to the Israeli prime minister’s office, the ICRC transferred the coffin to a joint Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet team inside Gaza before it was moved to Israel for forensic identification. The body was taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for examination to confirm the victim’s identity.
The Qassam Brigades said the remains were found in Gaza City’s eastern Shujaiya neighborhood during excavation operations "inside the yellow line," a term used to describe the boundary separating Israeli military positions within Gaza.
If confirmed, this will bring the total number of deceased hostages returned by Hamas to 21 since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10. At the beginning of the truce, the group was holding 48 hostages — 20 alive and 28 deceased — and has since released all surviving captives.
In a separate statement, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the group continues efforts to complete the handover of all deceased hostages despite "difficulties and obstacles," adding that many bodies remain trapped under Gaza’s rubble following months of conflict.
Qassem urged international mediators and the Red Cross to provide equipment and personnel to help locate and recover remaining bodies.
Israel, meanwhile, has accused Hamas of delaying the return process. Israeli officials said three additional bodies were handed over on November 2 under Red Cross supervision, bringing down the number of Israeli hostages still unaccounted for in Gaza to seven.
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