JERUSALEM (AP) — On Thursday, Israel's military announced that Palestinian militants had handed over the remains of two more hostages, signaling a possible advancement in the fragile ceasefire agreement that has been in place despite recent Israeli strikes on Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed that the remains were transported from Gaza to Israel for identification at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the remains belonged to Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both of whom were taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages, while 11 others remain in Gaza, pending transfer under the terms of the agreement.
In a reciprocal action, Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians to Gaza, although details about their identities have not been disclosed. There is uncertainty surrounding whether these individuals were killed during the October 7 attack, died in custody, or were recovered by Israeli troops during the conflict. Health officials in Gaza face challenges in identifying these bodies due to a lack of access to DNA kits.
Both Baruch and Cooper had notable backgrounds. Sahar Baruch was pursuing an electrical engineering degree and was captured from Kibbutz Be'eri. His brother, Idan, was killed in the same attack, and it was reported that he was also killed during a failed rescue attempt while in captivity. Amiram Cooper was an economist and a founding member of Kibbutz Nir Oz; he was taken hostage along with his wife, who was later released. Israeli officials confirmed that he was killed in Gaza in June 2024.
Despite the ongoing ceasefire, overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza injured at least 40 individuals in Khan Younis, igniting concern over the agreement's stability. Israeli military officials stated that these strikes targeted "terrorist infrastructure" threatening their troops, while local health officials reported the spike in injuries.
The Israeli government framed its military actions as a retaliation for the death of one of its soldiers in Rafah, which occurred earlier in the week. In response to these developments, Netanyahu noted that Hamas had violated the agreements surrounding the handover of hostages' remains and warned of intensified military responses if such actions persisted.
Hamas has denied any involvement in the soldier's death and has accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire terms. Netanyahu addressed military commanders, indicating that if Hamas continued to disregard the ceasefire, it would face substantial military actions. He further asserted that Israel would take necessary steps to neutralize immediate threats to its forces, stating, "At the end of the day, Hamas will be disarmed, and Gaza will be demilitarized."
Guarantors of the ceasefire agreement, such as Egypt and Qatar, communicated to Hamas that Israeli military actions would resume if Hamas fighters in specific zones did not evacuate by a set deadline. Following the expiration of this deadline, a senior U.S. official conveyed that Israel would enforce the ceasefire and strike Hamas targets that were still operational in areas identified as safe zones.
The ceasefire, which commenced on October 10, aims to alleviate a conflict that has resulted in unprecedented casualties and destruction between Israel and Hamas. The escalation of violence was precipitated by Hamas's deadly attack on Israel that claimed approximately 1,200 lives and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. Over the two years since the attack, Israeli military operations have reportedly resulted in over 68,600 Palestinian deaths, though the accuracy of these figures remains debated, with Israeli officials contesting the reported toll without offering a definite counter-estimate.
This report reflects the continuous struggle and complexities surrounding the ceasefire agreement while highlighting the profound human toll incurred during the ongoing conflict.
