Unresolved Fate of Hostages Remains a Key Concern Amid Uncertain Gaza Ceasefire

By SAM MEDNICK and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO, Associated Press

In TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The fragile ceasefire in the ongoing two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas was still in place on Tuesday, although numerous complex challenges lay ahead. This follows the previous day’s celebrations over the return of the last 20 surviving hostages to Israel from Gaza and the corresponding release of many Palestinian prisoners.

Immediate concerns now revolve around questions such as when Hamas will return the bodies of 24 hostages believed to have died in Gaza to Israel. Another matter involves the health status of both the released hostages and those Palestinians who have been freed.

So far, only four bodies of deceased hostages have been returned, as part of the initial stage of the ceasefire agreement facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, the Israeli military confirmed the identities of two individuals: Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi, a Nepali student.

Both men were in their twenties when they were captured by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Illouz was seized from the Nova music festival, while Joshi was taken from a bomb shelter.

According to Israeli reports, Illouz died due to injuries sustained while receiving inadequate medical attention, whereas Joshi was killed during captivity in the early phase of the conflict. The National Center of Forensic Medicine in Israel has yet to establish the official causes of their deaths.

On Tuesday, the released Israeli hostages were receiving medical treatment, with some families indicating it may be weeks before they are able to return home. In the regions of the West Bank and Gaza, where numerous prisoners have been freed, several individuals were also taken to hospitals for care.

Separately, the Israeli military said troops in the northern Gaza Strip had “opened fire to remove the threat” of several people approaching them on Tuesday across the “yellow line” and not complying with orders to stop. It didn’t immediately comment on any casualties in the incident.

Part of the ceasefire agreement is that Israel would pull back in Gaza to the so-called yellow line where its forces were in August, before launching their latest offensive on the Gaza City in the strip’s north.