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Hamas released the bodies of two captives on Thursday as the tenuous cease-fire with Israel holds following a week of conflict and failed hostage exchanges.
The Israel Defense Forces received two caskets carrying the bodies from the Red Cross, with the remains taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for identification, the Israeli military said.
The process could take up to two days, the Times of Israel reported.
It’s the first exchange to take place after Hamas delivered the partial remains of a slain hostage earlier this week, which belonged to a captive who was already recovered in 2023, prompting the cease-fire to nearly fall apart as Israel launched extensive airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
The attacks led Hamas to delay the release of the two bodies the group said it recently uncovered in Gaza, with the exchange finally taking place Thursday following pressure from Israel and President Trump.
If forensic experts confirm that the bodies as those of hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, then there would only be 11 captives left inside Gaza.
Among those who have yet to make it back home are Israeli-Americans Omer Neutra, 21, and Itay Chen, 19, both of whom come from New York families.
“The effort to bring back our hostages continues uninterrupted and will not cease until the return of the last hostage,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Prior to the botched exchange that took place on Tuesday, Hamas had not released a body in nine days, which Israel said was a clear violation of the US-backed peace deal.
Hamas has repeatedly claimed that it needs time to locate the bodies of the hostages, given the widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, with Egyptian teams inside the enclave to help search.
The terror group, however, has garnered backlash after the IDF released a video of Hamas members faking the discovery of the remains that were released on Tuesday.
Israel has long accused the terror group of knowing exactly where a majority of the bodies are located, claiming Hamas wants to use the slain hostages as leverage for further negotiations.
The Red Cross, which has been aiding in the search and release effort, slammed the move by Hamas to rebury a corpse and trick its members as a blatant violation of the hostage exchange deal.
“It is unacceptable that a fake recovery was staged, when so much depends on this agreement being upheld and when so many families are still anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones,” the Red Cross said in a statement.
With Post wires
English (US)