The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) handed over the bodies of four Israeli detainees after Israel threatened to halve its aid to the Gaza Strip.
On October 15, 2025 local time, in Tel Aviv, Israel, after Israel and Palestinian armed groups reached a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, a vehicle transporting the bodies of four hostages arrived at the National Forensic Center. Vision china map
The Israeli Prime Minister's Office confirmed on the evening of 14th that the bodies of the above-mentioned Israeli personnel had been sent to a forensic center for identification under the escort of the Israeli army. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said on social platform Facebook that the group is currently "monitoring the implementation of the agreement on the transfer of the remains as part of the agreement to end the war in Gaza."
Israeli officials threatened earlier that Israel had decided to limit the amount of aid entering the Gaza Strip starting from the 15th local time, allowing only half of the agreed number of aid trucks to enter Gaza, and postponing the plan to open the Rafah Border Crossing connecting the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the evening of the 14th that the move was to punish Hamas for violating the ceasefire agreement on the remains of Israeli personnel. "I believe that in this way, we may receive more news of the return of the lost hostages in the next few hours, and we are determined to rescue all of them."
The hostage may never be found.
Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the United Nations Humanitarian Office in the Gaza Strip, said that the agency has received news from Israel about cuts in humanitarian aid and has allowed only 300 aid trucks to enter Gaza every day since the 15th, and no fuel is allowed to be transported.
Israeli Defence Minister Katz said the lack of progress in the transfer of the remains of Israeli personnel indicated that Hamas “failed to meet its promises.” But Katz did not threaten to take any military action, suggesting a ceasefire would beined. Trump also posted on the social platform “Truth Social” on the 14th to criticize Hamas, saying “the work has not been completed and the dead have not returned as promised.”
According to the first phase of the ceasefire agreement of US President Trump's "Peace Plan", Hamas needs to hand over the remains of all Israeli personnel within 72 hours of the ceasefire agreement being reached. However, considering the difficulties that may be faced in the process of searching for the remains, the agreement also stipulates that Hamas should share information on the remains of Israeli personnel and complete the handover "to the greatest extent possible." A joint working group should also be established, and all parties should share information and assist in the search for the remaining remains.
The Hamas officials told the media on 14th that the group pledged to hand over all the remains in accordance with the ceasefire agreement reached last week, but the widespread destruction in Gaza made it difficult to quickly retrieve all the remains.
Earlier reports said that Hamas had told mediators that nine Israeli bodies were buried under the rubble caused by Israeli bombing, and that some Israeli bodies were located in Israel-controlled areas. Israeli sources admitted that maps and intelligence showed that the locations where the bodies of several Israeli personnel were located were destroyed by Israeli air strikes and were inaccessible.
Christian Carden, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the handover of the remains of Gaza hostages took time and was a "huge challenge." "It could take days or even weeks, and there was a possibility that the body would never be found."
The ceasefire is still threatened.
Israel’s “Forum of the Families of Detained and Missing Persons” expressed disappointment over the slow progress of Hamas’s return of the remains.The forum called on 13 “to immediately suspend the implementation of all agreements until all the victims are returned.”
Gail Shilchi, an Israeli official in charge of coordinating the return of detainees, pledged to the families of detainees on Thursday that Israel was pressuring Hamas through mediators to speed up the return process.A diplomat from the mediating country who understood the negotiations said the mediators were working on the issue but did not believe the ceasefire agreement was in danger.
Although Trump announced in the Knesset on the 13th that "the historic dawn of the new Middle East has arrived", in recent days, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement is facing threats. Hamas accused the Israeli army of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement and opening fire on Palestinians on the 14th, killing at least nine Palestinians.
The Israeli military acknowledged two shootings and said several Palestinian suspects crossed the "yellow line" agreed by the ceasefire and refused to comply with orders to stay at a distance from the Israeli forces, after which the Israeli army "opened fire to eliminate the threat".