Hamas claimed on Wednesday to have returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages, but Israeli authorities reported that one of the bodies did not match any known hostage, raising new tensions in the ongoing peace process between Israel and the terrorist group.
The exchange of both living and deceased hostages remains a key component of the fragile peace deal struck between Israel and Hamas. “After completing examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel [by] Hamas does not match any of the hostages,” the Israeli Defense Force said in a statement. The body has yet to be identified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to recovering all hostages, saying, “We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one.” He also called on Hamas to fully honor its commitments under the peace agreement.
Under the historic peace accord brokered by President Donald Trump, Hamas agreed to release 20 living hostages — which it did on Monday — and to return the bodies of 28 deceased captives. To date, eight bodies have been delivered, including the one that remains unidentified, while 20 are still believed to be in Gaza.
Trump underscored that the full return of both living and dead hostages is non-negotiable. The original agreement reportedly required all hostages to be released within 72 hours.
“THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!” Trump wrote Tuesday on social media.
Another key element of the peace deal requires Hamas to disarm — a demand the group has so far resisted. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Trump warned that if Hamas fails to disarm within “a reasonable period of time,” then “we will disarm them.” His comments came amid reports and videos showing Hamas executing men accused of collaborating with Israel, reports National Review.
As part of the same agreement, Israel began releasing 1,900 Hamas prisoners on Monday, including 250 individuals charged with serious offenses such as murder or terrorism.
This is not the first time Hamas has returned an incorrect body. Earlier this year, the group handed over a corpse believed to be that of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas, which was later identified as a deceased Palestinian woman.
Following the latest incident, Israel temporarily closed the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Hamas has claimed that logistical challenges and widespread destruction in Gaza are delaying the recovery process, adding that some hostages may have been taken by other militant factions, noted National Review.