Remains of Hostage Turned Over in Gaza as Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Continues
The Red Cross facilitates the transfer of another set of remains from Gaza to Israeli troops, following the recent funeral of an Israeli soldier whose body was returned under the ongoing ceasefire.
JERUSALEM: The Red Cross has facilitated the transfer of the remains of a hostage to Israeli troops in Gaza, according to the prime minister's office.
This handover occurred on Friday, hours after hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of an Israeli soldier whose body was turned over by Palestinian militants this week.Prior to the latest handover, Hamas had returned the bodies of 22 hostages since the commencement of the current ceasefire.
If the remains are confirmed to be those of another hostage, it would leave five others still in Gaza.The ceasefire, which began on October 10th, aims to bring an end to the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
As part of this agreement, Israel has released the bodies of 285 Palestinians, as confirmed by both the Red Cross and Gaza's Health Ministry.
However, only 84 of them have been identified due to restrictions on DNA labs in Gaza, which complicates the identification process.The military funeral for an Israeli-American soldier, Capt. Omer Neutra, was attended by hundreds of mourners.
Neutra was 21 when Hamas militants killed and abducted him during the October 7th attack that initiated the war.
His remains were released to Israel on Sunday night, along with those of two other soldiers who were killed during the same attack.Neutra's father, Ronen Neutra, expressed his grief in his eulogy, stating how their world had been turned upside down since his son's disappearance.
He also mentioned that they found solace in being able to bury him and continue to honor his memory.Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute to Neutra.
Cooper emphasized Neutra's dual nationality and his embodiment of both American and Israeli values.
He was hailed as a hero by both nations.Neutra moved from Long Island, New York, to enlist in the military as a volunteer in Israel.
After being abducted, his parents tirelessly advocated for him through numerous trips to Washington, protests, and appearances at political gatherings.
Initially believing he was still alive for over a year after the attack, they finally received confirmation that intelligence indicated his death during the conflict.In another development, three Palestinian teenagers were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Wednesday.
The military stated that two of them died on Thursday night while attempting to throw explosives near Jerusalem.
A video released by the military shows one of the individuals hurling something over a wall before being targeted with bullets.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the teens as Muhammad Atem and Muhammad Qasem, both 16 years old.On Wednesday, Murad Abu Seifen, a 15-year-old boy, was killed near the West Bank city of Jenin after allegedly throwing an explosive at Israeli forces.
His body has been withheld by Israel.The recent escalation in violence has led to the killings of numerous Palestinian children under the age of 18 by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of 2025.
The UN's humanitarian office reported that 42 such deaths have occurred, with some happening during military raids and others from sniper fire.Furthermore, there has been a surge in settler violence targeting Palestinians and their properties during the olive harvest season.
According to the UN's humanitarian office, October saw the highest number of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians since documentation began in 2006.
This handover occurred on Friday, hours after hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of an Israeli soldier whose body was turned over by Palestinian militants this week.Prior to the latest handover, Hamas had returned the bodies of 22 hostages since the commencement of the current ceasefire.
If the remains are confirmed to be those of another hostage, it would leave five others still in Gaza.The ceasefire, which began on October 10th, aims to bring an end to the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
As part of this agreement, Israel has released the bodies of 285 Palestinians, as confirmed by both the Red Cross and Gaza's Health Ministry.
However, only 84 of them have been identified due to restrictions on DNA labs in Gaza, which complicates the identification process.The military funeral for an Israeli-American soldier, Capt. Omer Neutra, was attended by hundreds of mourners.
Neutra was 21 when Hamas militants killed and abducted him during the October 7th attack that initiated the war.
His remains were released to Israel on Sunday night, along with those of two other soldiers who were killed during the same attack.Neutra's father, Ronen Neutra, expressed his grief in his eulogy, stating how their world had been turned upside down since his son's disappearance.
He also mentioned that they found solace in being able to bury him and continue to honor his memory.Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, and Israel's President Isaac Herzog also paid tribute to Neutra.
Cooper emphasized Neutra's dual nationality and his embodiment of both American and Israeli values.
He was hailed as a hero by both nations.Neutra moved from Long Island, New York, to enlist in the military as a volunteer in Israel.
After being abducted, his parents tirelessly advocated for him through numerous trips to Washington, protests, and appearances at political gatherings.
Initially believing he was still alive for over a year after the attack, they finally received confirmation that intelligence indicated his death during the conflict.In another development, three Palestinian teenagers were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since Wednesday.
The military stated that two of them died on Thursday night while attempting to throw explosives near Jerusalem.
A video released by the military shows one of the individuals hurling something over a wall before being targeted with bullets.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the teens as Muhammad Atem and Muhammad Qasem, both 16 years old.On Wednesday, Murad Abu Seifen, a 15-year-old boy, was killed near the West Bank city of Jenin after allegedly throwing an explosive at Israeli forces.
His body has been withheld by Israel.The recent escalation in violence has led to the killings of numerous Palestinian children under the age of 18 by Israeli forces in the West Bank since the start of 2025.
The UN's humanitarian office reported that 42 such deaths have occurred, with some happening during military raids and others from sniper fire.Furthermore, there has been a surge in settler violence targeting Palestinians and their properties during the olive harvest season.
According to the UN's humanitarian office, October saw the highest number of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians since documentation began in 2006.
