Smoke rises in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 30, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas handed over two bodies it said were of deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday, a day after the tenuous Gaza ceasefire was shaken by a series of Israeli strikes across the enclave.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the two bodies had been received by Israeli forces via the Red Cross in Gaza and will be transported into Israel for identification.

Under the ceasefire accord, Hamas released all living hostages in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees, while Israel pulled back its troops, halted its offensive, and increased aid into the enclave.

Hamas also agreed to hand over the remains of all 28 dead hostages in exchange for 360 Palestinian terrorists killed in the war. Up to Thursday it had handed over 15 bodies.

Israel says Hamas has been too slow to hand over the remaining bodies of hostages still in Gaza. Hamas says it will take time to locate and retrieve all of the remains.

Families of some of the hostages are desperate to provide a proper burial for their loved ones and fear their remains will be lost forever beneath the ruins of Gaza.

Thousands of Palestinians believed to be dead are still missing amid the vast destruction.

MAJOR OBSTACLES TO TRUMP’S PLAN

The dispute over the recovery and handover of bodies of hostages has been one of the difficulties complicating US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war for good.

Numerous major obstacles still lie ahead, including the future administration of Gaza and the demand for Hamas to disarm. At the same time, the sides have been trading blame for violating the truce.

From Tuesday into Wednesday, Israel retaliated for a Palestinian attack on its troops which left one soldier dead with bombardments targeting dozens of terrorists. Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza said the strikes killed 104 people, including women and children. Experts have cast doubt on the reliability of casualty figures from Gaza, noting they have been found to be riddled with inaccuracies and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

MORE AIRSTRIKES ON THURSDAY

Witnesses said Israeli planes carried out 10 airstrikes in areas east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, while tanks shelled areas east of Gaza City in the north before dawn on Thursday. No casualties were reported.

The Israeli military said it carried out “precise” strikes against “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops” in the areas of Gaza where its forces are still deployed.

Gaza residents said they feared a resumption of hostilities.