TEL AVIV – In a somber development, Israeli authorities confirmed on Sunday the identification of one of the bodies recently handed over by Hamas. This comes after the militant group transferred the remains of two individuals, whom they claimed were hostages, to the Red Cross late on Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the identified body belonged to Ronen Engel. Meanwhile, forensic experts at Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine are working to identify the second set of remains. Engel, 54, tragically lost his life during the October 7 attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, located near the Gaza border. His wife, Karina, and two of his three children were kidnapped during the incident but were later released as part of a ceasefire agreement in November 2023.
This exchange occurs amidst heightened tensions, with Israel warning that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed “until further notice.” The reopening is contingent upon Hamas meeting its ceasefire obligations, which include returning the remains of all 28 hostages who have been confirmed deceased.
To date, Hamas has returned the remains of 11 identified hostages, while Israel has sent back the bodies of 135 Palestinians to Gaza.
The exchange of remains is a crucial component of the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, which also focus on humanitarian aid access to Gaza and discussions regarding the region’s future in the wake of prolonged conflict.
The situation at the Rafah border crossing remains a pivotal element in these negotiations.
The Rafah crossing is the only one that was not controlled by Israel before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side. A fully reopened crossing would make it easier for Palestinians to seek medical treatment, travel or visit family in Egypt, home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Authority’s Interior Ministry in Ramallah announced procedures for Palestinians wishing to leave or enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. For Palestinians who want to leave Gaza, Palestinian Embassy staff from Cairo will be at the crossing to issue temporary travel documents that allow entry into Egypt. Palestinians who wish to enter the Gaza Strip will need to apply at the embassy in Cairo for relevant entry documents.
Israel’s war in Gaza has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in the territory. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate of wartime deaths by U.N. agencies and many independent experts. Israel has disputed them without providing its own toll.
Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the attack on southern Israel that sparked the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hamas says discussions begin about 2nd phase of ceasefire negotiations
Hamas said discussions are underway with mediators on arrangements for launching negotiations on the second phase of the Trump plan to end the war in Gaza.
Hazem Kassem, a spokesman for Hamas, said in a statement late Saturday that the second phase negotiations “require national consensus.”
He said Hamas has begun discussions to solidify their positions on the issues but didn’t provide further details.
According to Trump’s plan, the second phase of negotiations include disarming Hamas and the establishment of an international-backed authority to run the embattled Gaza Strip.
Kassem reiterated that the group won’t be part of the ruling authority in a post-war Gaza. Hamas-run government bodies in the Gaza Strip are running day-to-day affairs to avoid a power vacuum, he said.
“Government agencies in Gaza continue to perform their duties, as the vacuum is very dangerous, and this will continue until an administrative committee is formed and agreed upon by all Palestinian factions,” he said.
Kassem called for a prompt establishment of the Community Support Committee, a body of Palestinian technocrats, to run the day-to-day affairs.
US accuses Hamas of planning attack against Palestinians in Gaza
The U.S. State Department on Saturday said it had credible reports of an imminent planned attack by Hamas against residents of Gaza.
“This planned attack against Palestinian civilians would constitute a direct and grave violation of the ceasefire agreement and undermine the significant progress achieved through mediation efforts,” it said in a statement.
There was no immediate Hamas comment on the State Department statement. However, the Interior Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, has said its forces were working to restore law and order across areas Israel’s military withdrew from following the ceasefire.
Hamas-led fighters clashed with at least two armed groups in eastern Gaza City that Hamas alleges are involved in looting aid and collaborating with Israel. They executed a handful of suspects in public, in widely condemned street killings. __
Magdy reported from Cairo.
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