Israel has confirmed that its security forces retrieved from the Red Cross the remains of two hostages from the Gaza Strip, as part of a ceasefire arrangement with Hamas. Earlier, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, announced their intention to return the two bodies on Thursday afternoon. This latest return brings the total to 15 out of 28 deceased hostages that Hamas had agreed to release under the truce facilitated by the United States.

According to a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, “Israel has received, through the Red Cross, the bodies of two hostages that were handed over to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip.” The statement further mentioned that the remains would be sent to a forensic medical center for identification. This development followed a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza from Tuesday night into Wednesday, which were in response to an attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli soldier in southern Gaza.

The civil defense agency in Gaza, operating under Hamas’ jurisdiction, reported that the strikes resulted in over 100 fatalities, including many children, marking the deadliest night since the ceasefire began on October 10. By Wednesday morning, Israel announced it was once again “enforcing the ceasefire,” a move expected to hold by both U.S. President Donald Trump and regional mediator Qatar. Meanwhile, Hamas stated its fighters were “not connected to the shooting incident in Rafah” and reiterated their commitment to maintaining the truce.

It also delayed handing over what it said were the remains of a deceased hostage, adding that any ‘escalation will hinder the search, excavation and recovery of the bodies’. The militant group drew outrage in Israel on Monday after it returned the partial remains of a previously recovered captive, which Israel said was a breach of the truce.

Hamas had said the remains were the 16th body it had agreed to return, but Israeli forensic examination determined they were in fact partial remains of a hostage whose body had already been brought back to Israel around two years ago , according to the prime minister’s office. Militants took 251 people hostage during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.

After the start of this month’s ceasefire, the group returned the 20 surviving captives still in its custody and began the process of returning the 28 bodies of deceased hostages. Israel accuses Hamas of reneging on the deal by not returning them fast enough, but the Palestinian group says it will take time to locate remains buried in Gaza’s ruins.