Israel has announced the receipt of two more bodies of hostages from the October 7 incident, following Hamas’s compliance with demands from former US President Donald Trump to “release the dead.”
The Israeli military stated that Hamas delivered “two coffins of deceased hostages” on Saturday at 10 p.m. local time (8 p.m. BST and 3 p.m. ET).
The Red Cross facilitated the transfer of the remains to Israeli authorities, where they will undergo formal identification processes.
This development followed significant criticism, as Hamas had previously returned only ten of the 28 bodies promised in the ceasefire agreement.
With this latest handover, the total number has risen to 12, leaving 16 bodies still to be returned, although all were expected to be handed over by the previous Monday.
The delay has intensified anger in Israel, leading to widespread protests as families of the victims continue to demand the return of their loved ones’ remains.
Hamas claims it handed over all of the hostage remains it could access and ‘extensive efforts and special equipment’ would be needed to retrieve more.
Israeli intelligence has assessed it may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.
IDF troops receive remains of killed hostages at official ceremony (Pictured October 13, 2025)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said earlier on Saturday the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed ‘until further notice’ as the deadline passed without confirmation.
He warned it would only reopen if Hamas fulfilled its role in hostage returns, a key component of the ongoing ceasefire process.
This is a change from the country’s initial approach, which saw the foreign ministry originally say the crossing would reopen on Sunday as another step towards ceasefire.
The crossing would allow Gazans to receive medical treatment or visit family in Egypt, where tens of thousands of Palestinians live.
This week, tests conducted on one of the four corpses delivered to Israel revealed that it belongs to a Gazan.
The other three remains were identified as Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levy, and Uriel Baruch.
President Trump vented his frustration on Truth Social, writing: ‘THE JOB IS NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!’
Earlier this year, the terror group claimed to have handed over the body of Shiri Bibas, one of the hostages, but it was later confirmed to belong to a Palestinian.
Under Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, announced on Monday, Hamas was required to release all hostages, dead or alive, as a key condition of the deal.
The group’s failure to deliver the bodies sparked fears the fragile peace agreement could already be in jeopardy, with Israeli officials accusing Hamas of deliberately withholding the remains.
Earlier this week, Israel refused to increase aid deliveries into Gaza after Hamas had released just eight bodies by Tuesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out doubling the number of aid trucks, citing the group’s violation of the agreement.
Hamas was expected to hand over all 28 deceased hostages alongside 20 survivors by midday Monday.
While the release of the living captives brought relief, only four bodies were initially returned – followed by another four last night.
The shortfall provoked fury in Israel, where the failure to recover the dead has been seen as a deep affront, given the central importance of burial rites in Judaism.
On Monday, Donald Trump brokered the landmark peace deal between Israel and Hamas, aimed at ending the devastating Gaza war that has killed tens of thousands and created a humanitarian disaster.
In emotional scenes, freed captives were reunited with their families, parents, and friends, some embracing through tears after years of fear and uncertainty.
‘After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent and the sirens are still,’ Donald Trump said in a historic speech at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
But the ordeal of two years in captivity was clear despite the celebrations – many hostages appeared frail and emaciated, bearing little resemblance to photos taken before their abduction on October 7, 2023.
Relatives of hostages whose bodies are still in Gaza hold up placards and demand their release
Behind the smiles, their physical and emotional scars offered a stark reminder of the suffering endured since that day.
On Thursday, the US President issued a stark warning to the group after it was caught executing fellow Palestinians amid the ceasefire with Israel.
‘If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,’ the President posted to Truth Social. ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter!’
Hamas had previously returned four deceased hostages on Monday, who were later identified as Guy Illouz, 26, Bipin Joshi, 23, Yossi Sharabi, 53, and Daniel Peretz, 22.
Four more bodies were handed over on Tuesday, with three of them having been identified as Uriel Baruch, 35, Tamir Nimrodi, 18, and Eitan Levi, 53.
But Israel has said the fourth ‘does not match any of the hostages’.
Hamas’ failure to immediately provide the remains of all of the 28 deceased hostages has led to fears the peace deal is already at risk.
A spokesperson from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum told the Daily Mail: ‘Following the return of the last 20 live hostages on Monday, devastating testimonies are emerging – of people being caged, chained, starved, and having bags placed over their heads for extended periods.
‘Every new account reveals yet another layer of deliberate psychological; and physical cruelty.
‘Hamas used systematic torture and psychological terror as weapons of war to dehumanise, humiliate, and destroy.
‘Today, we know that the remaining hostages still held in Gaza are no longer alive. For their families, the nightmare is far from over – many fear their loved ones’ bodies may be lost forever in Gaza.
‘The world must confront the full horror of Hamas’ actions and stand with the families to demand the return the body of every last hostage, so they can finally be laid to rest in Israel, with dignity, and provide closure for the families.’
Bodies recovered in the ruins of Gaza since the ceasefire process began have brought the Palestinian death toll to above 68,000, according to the country’s Hamas-run health ministry.
