Latest remains returned to Israel from Gaza are not bodies of hostages, Israel says

The remains of three people handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross this week do not belong to any of the hostages, Israel said Saturday, the latest development that could undermine the U.S.-brokered agreement for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war

The remains of three people handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross this week do not belong to any of the hostages, Israel said Saturday, the latest development that could undermine the U.S.-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, a military official warned that Israeli intelligence suggested they did not belong to any of the hostages taken by Palestinian militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that sparked the war.

A second Israeli military official confirmed on Saturday that they were not of any hostages, followed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The remains we received are not our hostages,” the office said.