Israel’s military says Hamas handed over 'two coffins of deceased hostages' to the Red Cross in Gaza

Mideast Wars
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CAIRO (AP) — Israel’s military says Hamas has handed over “two coffins of deceased hostages” to the Red Cross in Gaza.

The handover occurred late Saturday local time. The names of the hostages were not immediately released.

The militant group over the past week had handed over the remains of 10 of the 28 dead hostages left in Gaza. It’s a key step in the ceasefire meant to end two years of war.

Israel’s goverment says it wants Hamas to hand over the remains more quickly. Hamas says the devastation, unexploded ordnance and Israeli military control of some areas in Gaza is hampering the process.

Meanwhile, Israel continues to hand over the remains of Palestinians without identification, just numbers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

CAIRO (AP) — The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will stay closed “until further notice,” Israel said Saturday, after the Palestinian embassy in Egypt said the territory’s sole gateway to the outside world would reopen Monday for people returning to Gaza.

The statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said reopening Rafah would depend on how Hamas fulfills its ceasefire role of returning the remains of all 28 dead hostages. Israel’s foreign ministry earlier said the crossing would likely reopen Sunday.

Hamas has handed over the remains of 10 hostages. In a statement, it asserted that its armed wing would hand over the remains of two more Saturday night, without identifying them.

The handover of remains is among key points — along with aid deliveries into Gaza and the devastated territory’s future — in the ceasefire process meant to end two years of war.

The Rafah crossing is the only one not controlled by Israel before the war. It has been closed since May 2024, when Israel took control of the Gaza side. A fully reopened crossing would make it easier for Gazans to seek medical treatment, travel or visit family in Egypt, home to tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Anxiety on both sides over remains

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