Returning hostage bodies from Gaza may take time, Red Cross says

GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Tuesday it will take time to hand over the remains of hostages and detainees killed in the Israel-Hamas war, calling it a "massive challenge" given the difficulties of finding bodies amid Gaza's rubble.

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Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages as part of a ceasefire deal; Israel returned Palestinian detainees.
Only four deceased hostages remains have been recovered; over 20 are still missing.
The ICRC says locating the bodies is a major challenge and urges all parties to prioritise recovery efforts.

Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under a ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees as U.S. President Donald Trump declared an end to the two-year war.

But only four coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages have so far been returned to Israel, leaving more than 20 bodies yet to be located and returned.

"That's an even bigger challenge than having the people alive being released. That's a massive challenge," said the ICRC's spokesperson Christian Cardon, adding it could take days or weeks and that there was a possibility they would never be found.

"I think that there is clearly a risk that that will take much more time. What are we telling the parties is that that should be their top priority," he added.

He declined to answer further details about the possible whereabouts of the deceased hostages, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing operation.