Hamas handed over the remains of two more Israeli hostages late on Wednesday and said it had now returned all the bodies it could reach in Gaza’s ruins. The group’s armed wing said it needed specialised recovery equipment and more time to retrieve others believed to be buried under collapsed buildings. Israel’s defence minister warned that the country could resume combat in Gaza if Hamas failed to honour the terms of the ceasefire deal. The handovers come amid intense scrutiny of the truce and growing pressure from families of hostages and the wider public.
The latest returns follow a series of transfers this week, during which Hamas delivered the remains of several of the 28 hostages known to have died in captivity or during the conflict. Israel said one of the bodies handed over earlier in the week did not belong to a former hostage, adding to the complexity of identification in a war zone. Both sides now face a narrow window to show progress or risk a slide back into fighting.
Context and Timing
Hamas delivered two additional sets of remains late on Wednesday, 15 October, in Gaza, according to statements from the group’s armed wing and reports by international media on Thursday, 16 October. The exchanges took place under the current ceasefire framework, which Israel’s leadership says depends on both sides meeting their obligations.
Hamas says it has returned all remains it can reach
Hamas’s armed wing said it had handed over the remains of all deceased hostages it could access in Gaza’s devastated areas. It added that it required “specialised recovery equipment” to find and recover other bodies from deep rubble and unstable sites. The statement followed an earlier series of transfers in which Hamas returned the remains of seven of the 28 known deceased hostages, plus a separate body which Israel said did not belong to a former hostage.
By late Wednesday, Hamas had delivered two further bodies. The group framed the handovers as proof it was acting under the ceasefire, while noting that urban destruction and safety risks limited immediate access to additional remains. The armed wing pointed to “Gaza’s ruins” as the chief obstacle. Its message sought to balance a claim of compliance with an appeal for time and technical assistance.
Israel warns of renewed Gaza fighting if terms not honoured
Israel’s defence minister said the military could resume operations in Gaza if Hamas failed to honour the ceasefire deal. The warning raised the stakes around implementation and signalled that Israel would assess progress in days, not weeks. The minister did not set public deadlines, but the message suggested that the government expects tangible steps from Hamas, including further returns and verified compliance with agreed terms.
Israeli officials have argued that strict enforcement is vital to deter violations and protect leverage over