The IDF said Tuesday night that four coffins containing the remains of slain hostages were transferred to the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for identification after being handed over to Israeli forces in Gaza by the Red Cross, marking the second round of body recoveries under the ongoing postwar agreement with Hamas.
Unlike the first transfer, Hamas did not disclose the names of the deceased hostages returned in this round. Israeli officials said they expect several more bodies — likely four — to be handed over Wednesday, though the final number remains uncertain. After that, the process becomes far less predictable, with at least half of the remaining bodies still inside Gaza.
The effort to recover the fallen is being coordinated in part by a joint Qatari-Turkish-Egyptian task force, which has been authorized to operate on the ground to help locate and facilitate the return of remains.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking earlier Tuesday, said that while the return of 20 living hostages marked an emotional milestone, “the mission is not yet complete.” He emphasized that Hamas had failed to meet its commitment to return the bodies of the deceased. “Phase Two begins right now,” he said, referring to the next stage of the administration’s peace initiative that stopped two years of fighting between Hamas and the IDF.
Trump’s plan calls for rebuilding Gaza while ensuring Israel’s long-term security, including initial steps toward disarming Hamas. They said they were going to disarm, and if they don't disarm, we will disarm them," he told reporters from the White House while meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei. “They know I’m not playing games.” When asked whether Hamas was deliberately stalling the agreement’s implementation, Trump replied “We’ll see.”
Israel’s response and warnings
Israel has so far responded with limited sanctions, closing the Rafah crossing and scaling back humanitarian aid to Gaza. Although several politicians have accused Hamas of violating the agreement by not returning all bodies within 72 hours, defense officials noted that the deal included no such deadline for the deceased, only for the living.
Under the current terms, Israel returned the bodies of 45 Palestinian terrorists to Gaza, 15 for every Israeli fallen.
“We are handling the return of the fallen with the same determination, responsibility and seriousness as the living," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to released hostages recovering at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva. "We will spare no effort or means to bring them home. I believe we will soon receive word of additional returns — hopefully within hours. But our resolve is absolute: we will bring everyone back.”
Diplomatic signals and ongoing mediation
A senior Israeli official warned that “failure to return the fallen could collapse the deal,” but said the government had not yet determined that Hamas had breached the agreement. “We want to fully assess where things stand,” he said. “We know this process will take longer, and we hope it will work out.”
Israeli officials conveyed to Hamas that Israel insists on the return of the fallen “no less than the living.” If the terrorist group fails to cooperate fully, additional sanctions outlined in the agreement will take effect, including halting Gaza’s reconstruction.
Beyond the closure of the Rafah crossing and aid restrictions, Israel could block the entry of caravans, heavy equipment and basic materials such as bakery supplies. However, such steps could expose Israel to accusations of undermining the ceasefire deal.
The international search effort
Coordination channels remain open with Qatar, Egypt, the United States and Turkey, all part of the international task force working with the Red Cross to locate the fallen. The task force will pass Israel’s mapping data to Hamas, identifying sites to excavate. Hamas has agreed not to begin reconstruction in those areas until the searches are completed.
According to Qatar’s Al Araby channel, Egyptian teams are already working inside Gaza to help locate the remains in consultation with Israeli technical teams.
First published: 23:23, 10.14.25