Israel has announced that the remains of the soldiers killed by Hamas in an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 have been handed over to the militant group.
The move is the latest since the first stop in Gaza was made more than three weeks ago.
The bodies of the three soldiers, who were brought back to Gaza by Hamas after the 2023 attack on Sunday in the southern territory on Sunday, Hamas said in a statement.
The remains were identified by Israeli authorities as a Colonel, an Israeli American tank commander and a sergeant.
Israel released the remains of 15 Palestinians in exchange for the return of an Israeli hostage and has now handed over all the Palestinians to the Gaza authorities to the Gaza authorities, all anonymously.
Zarer Al-Wahidi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told the Associated Press on Monday that 45 bodies of Palestinians were received at the Hangesser Hospital on Monday.
Since the US-brokered cease-fire, Hamas has released all of its host hostages and returned nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, while Israel is withdrawing its troops, while Israel is withdrawing its troops, while withdrawing its troops, while withdrawing its female troops, while Israel is withdrawing its enemies.
Under the deal, Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of 28 dead hostages. After Sunday’s handover, the bodies of eight Israelis and other nationalities remain in Gaza.
Hamas releases one or two bodies every few days and says widespread destruction in Gaza has prevented the search for more remains. Israel accused the group of deliberately slowing down the weapons.
Gaza’s health system has been largely destroyed by two years of conflict and authorities are struggling to identify remains returned to Israel without DNA tools.
Only 75 bodies have been moved since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which posted photos online where relatives could identify them. Some families hope to bury loved ones trying to identify them by scraps of clothing.
It is not clear if the Palestinians whose intelligence was returned to Israel were killed inside Israel during the Hamas attack, or were captured from Gaza by the soldiers of the war.
Disputes over the recovery and holding of hostages’ bodies are among the many challenges facing Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict.
Significant obstacles lie ahead, including the future governance of Gaza and the need for Hamas to disarm.
Trump’s 20-Point Plan includes the formation of an international Arab stabilization force and other partners that will work with the borders of Gaza and ensure that the ceasefire is respected.
Turkey is hosting top diplomats from the Islamic world on Monday to try to drive forward reconstruction efforts.
Both sides accuse the other of violating the agreement. Israel launched waves of deadly airstrikes, killing more than 100 Palestinians, and Hamas militants attacked Israeli troops.
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Sunday “there are pockets of Hamas” in parts of Gaza controlled by Israeli forces. “There are actually two in Rafah and Khan Yoenis, and they will be eliminated.”
The families of the hostages continue to rally in Israel every week. On Saturday night, Moran Harari, a friend of the late Carmel Gat, urged restraint.
“This cursed war has taken many lives of dear people on both sides of the fence. At this time, we must not fall again,” Harari said during a rally in Jerusalem.
On Sunday, Trump welcomed the return of the remains of Israeli-American, Omer Neutra. Neutra, who had traveled to Israel and volunteered to serve in its military, was 21 when he was killed.
“I’m talking [Neutra’s] Parents … They are happy in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, they are not so great. But we’re happy because we got three bodies back today,” Trump said.
About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack by Hamas in 2023 and 251 people were taken hostage. The Israeli military wounded more than 68,600 Palestinians, mostly civilians, in Gaza, according to the Gaza ministry, and reduced most of the territory to service.
Israel, which denies the accusations of an unsission in the inquiry and others in the conflict in Gaza, disputed the figures of the ministry that did not give a conflicting toll.
The Associated Press contributed to this report