Israel isn't sure latest human remains returned by Hamas are those of a hostage

2 weeks ago 15

Israel on Tuesday said it received human remains that Palestinian militants handed over to the Red Cross, but it was not immediately clear if they were one of three hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip.

Will undergo forensics testing and identification, says Netanyahu's office

The Associated Press

· Posted: Nov 25, 2025 2:49 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

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A white Red Cross vehicle flying a flag against a darkening sky

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the remains would be taken for forensics testing and identification.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it found the remains earlier this week in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza.

The handover is the latest under last month's fragile ceasefire that has held despite accusations by both sides of violations.

Under the October deal between Hamas and Israel, Hamas freed all 20 surviving hostages held in Gaza in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees held by Israel.

The pact also stipulated the return of the remains of 28 hostages in exchange for the remains of 360 Palestinian militants.

Palestinian militants have returned 25 bodies of hostages. The remaining hostages are believed to be two Israelis and a man from Thailand.

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In return, Israel has released the bodies of 330 Palestinians to Gaza. Most remain unidentified.

Under Israeli pressure to hurry, Hamas says it has not been able to reach all remains of hostages because they are buried under rubble from Israel's two-year offensive. Israel has accused the militants of dragging their feet and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned. Netanyahu's office asserted that the delay amounted to a ceasefire violation.

Ceasefire follow-up talks

Meanwhile, Egyptian state-affiliated Al-Qahera News TV said on Tuesday that the Cairo government had hosted a follow-up meeting for mediators and guarantors of the ceasefire deal.

It was attended by Egypt's head of intelligence, the Qatari prime minister and the head of Turkish intelligence, the channel said, without mentioning when the gathering was held.

They discussed joint efforts to implement the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for post-war Gaza and overcome challenges including ceasefire violations to ensure its consolidation, Al-Qahera reported.

A Hamas delegation, led by its exiled chief Khalil al-Hayya, held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo over the past two days to explore how to carry out the next steps in Trump's plan, which would include a transitional governing authority for Gaza and a multinational security force.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Israel and Hamas have traded blame for deadly truce violations and accused each other of pushing back against later steps required by Trump's plan.