Hamas has returned the bodies of four additional hostages to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the military confirmed late Tuesday night. The Red Cross facilitated the transfer, retrieving the remains in coffins and handing them over to Israeli authorities for identification.
The move comes after Israel warned it would restrict humanitarian aid into Gaza until all 28 deceased hostages were repatriated. Hamas had earlier handed back 20 living and four deceased hostages on Monday. Meanwhile, the Red Cross also confirmed that Israel returned the remains of 45 deceased Palestinians to Gaza on Tuesday.
The exchange forms part of the U.S. President Donald Trump–brokered ceasefire agreement, which called for the return of all 48 hostages by noon on Monday. Although all living hostages have been released, Hamas has yet to deliver the remains of 20 others, sparking tensions that now threaten the fragile truce.
Israel’s defense minister warned Hamas that any delay or avoidance would constitute a “gross violation” of the deal and would be met with consequences. In response, Hamas said it is struggling to locate the bodies of some hostages, a challenge reportedly acknowledged in the ceasefire’s text.
The standoff has raised fears among Palestinians that the delay could derail the ceasefire and reignite hostilities. Gaza-based writer Tayseer Abed described the situation as “a dangerous test for the ceasefire,” warning that failure to resolve the issue could “ignite a new round of conflict.”
Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan, nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were released, and a transitional governance structure for Gaza was proposed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Hamas must disarm before further phases of the plan proceed.
While the ceasefire remains largely in effect, isolated clashes and Israeli drone strikes have been reported in Gaza, underlining how fragile the peace remains as both sides navigate this tense post-war transition.
