As fragile Gaza ceasefire holds, Israelis lament incomplete return of dead hostages

TEL AVIV — The tenuous ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war continued Tuesday even as the return of dead hostages from Gaza progressed more slowly than Israelis had hoped and health officials in the devastated region said the Israeli army had fatally shot three Palestinians.

A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 hostages living in Gaza, while Palestinians rejoiced that Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the first phase of the ceasefire.

But attention in Israel has now turned to when Hamas will return the bodies of all hostages who died in captivity. While Israeli officials understand there may be some delay in rescue efforts, the hostages’ families and supporters expressed concern Monday that only four of the 28 bodies were returned.

The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization representing most of the hostage families, called it a “blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas.” Gal Hirsch, the senior official coordinating the return of hostages and missing people in Israel, said in a note to families that pressure was being put on Hamas through international mediators to speed up the process. A copy of the note was seen by the Associated Press and its authenticity was confirmed by someone familiar with the statement.

In Gaza, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that the bodies of three people killed by the Israeli army in the northern part of the area were taken to Al Ahli hospital. The Israeli army said that soldiers there “opened fire to eliminate the threat” against several people who approached them and did not comply with orders to stop. There was no immediate comment on any casualties.

Under the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces withdrew to their positions in August before launching their final assault on Gaza City. The withdrawal leaves a number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there.

Sorrow over the release of only four hostages who died in Gaza

On Tuesday, the Israeli military identified two of the dead hostages who returned from Gaza the day before: Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin JoshiA student from Nepal.

Both were in their 20s when Hamas-led militants captured them on October 7, 2023, during the attack that sparked the war. Illouz was kidnapped from a music festival and Joshi from a bomb shelter.

Israel said Illouz died of wounds while held captive without proper medical treatment, while Joshi was killed in captivity in the first months of the war.

ceasefire plan US President Donald Trump called for the return of “all hostages, living and deceased” within 72 hours of the agreement being adopted.

But he also provided a mechanism if that did not happen, saying Hamas should share information about the remaining deceased hostages and “make maximum efforts to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled as quickly as possible.” The agreement signed last week also stated that Israel would provide information about the remains of Palestinians who died in Israeli custody.

Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross said recovering the bodies of hostages was a major challenge due to widespread destruction in Gaza.

Long journey to heal hostages in Israel

The freed Israeli hostages received medical care on Tuesday, and some families said it would be weeks before the men returned home.

Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn was released on Monday, said he lost more than 40% of his body weight after receiving little food and water in the past few months.

“He’s got a long, long way to go,” he said Tuesday. The physical toll is just part of the trauma, he said.

“He’s just finding out now… that friends of his that he knew were murdered and he had no idea how many people were kidnapped that day and what this country was going through and it’s very difficult and difficult,” Horn said.

Moshe Levi, whose brother-in-law Omri Miran was released from Gaza on Monday, described the joy of playing with Miran’s very young daughters, who were not even a year old when their father was taken hostage.

“He could feel like he was a father again, and they could feel like there was a father figure in the house. It’s still surreal for them,” Levi said.

Hundreds of prisoners and detainees were released and many people were taken to hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah said it had received 14 people released on Monday and discharged all but two.

Imad al-Shami, a doctor at the hospital, said the conditions of the doctors who examined the men showed that they had been “subjected to serious beatings, which reflects the extent of the violence they were subjected to.”

Kamal Abu Shanab, who was released after more than 18 years behind bars, said the beatings caused a tear in his shoulder. “For eight months, I wasn’t even given a pill for my pain,” he said.

The AP could not independently verify the allegations. The Israel Prison Service said it was unaware of any such allegations. “All prisoners are held in accordance with legal procedures and their rights are protected, including access to medical care and adequate living conditions,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Nasser Hospital in Gaza said on Tuesday that the International Committee of the Red Cross had transferred the bodies of 45 Palestinians to the morgue. The bodies were the first to arrive among the 450 expected.

Long-term challenges for lasting peace

Difficult questions remain about what will happen next in Gaza, such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern the area and help rebuild it. The issue of Palestinian statehood, a central concern throughout the region, also remained unanswered.

“The first steps to peace are always the hardest,” Trump said while standing with foreign leaders in Egypt on Monday. Summit on the future of Gaza. He hailed the ceasefire agreement he brokered between Israel and Hamas as the end of the war in Gaza and the beginning of reconstruction devastated area.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that 15 Palestinian technocrats were elected to govern Gaza with the approval of Israel, Hamas and all other Palestinian groups.

Palestinians in Gaza have called on authorities to act quickly to return some semblance of normality. Mohamad Abu Hajras, a displaced Palestinian from Khan Younis, said he hoped the ceasefire agreement would lead to the rapid reconstruction of Gaza.

“There is no infrastructure, electricity, water or anything habitable,” Hajras said.

The UN Development Agency on Tuesday said $70 billion would be needed to rebuild Gaza, according to the latest joint estimate from the UN, European Union and World Bank. Jaco Cilliers, the agency’s special representative, said $20 billion would be needed over the next three years, while the rest would be needed over a longer period (possibly decades).

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is part of the Hamas-run government, more than 67,600 Palestinians have been killed in the war; However, it was not stated how many of these people were civilians or combatants. About half of the dead were women and children, and many independent experts say these figures are the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

Mednick and Dell’Orto write for the Associated Press. Dell’Orto reported from Jerusalem. AP journalists Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv; Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; and Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza, contributed to this report.