In a significant step under a fragile truce, Israel has handed over the remains of 15 Palestinians, marking the completion of the latest grim exchange in the ongoing ceasefire process with Hamas.
A Tense and Precarious Truce
This handover signifies that the initial phase of the shaky agreement is nearly concluded. Palestinian hospital officials confirmed the transaction, which leaves just two bodies of hostages taken at the war's outset still in Gaza. The swap occurred a day after Palestinian militants returned the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or, who was killed during the militant attack on October 7, 2023.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, this latest development brings the total number of Palestinian bodies returned by Israel since the exchanges began last month to 345. However, a stark challenge remains: the Ministry reports that only 99 of these bodies have been identified, a process severely hampered by a critical lack of DNA testing kits within the besieged strip.
The Path Forward and Lingering Challenges
With the return of Or's remains, the focus now shifts to the two remaining captives: one Israeli and one Thai national. A Hamas spokesperson stated on Wednesday that the militant group is determined to uphold its side of the agreement and secure their return.
Simultaneously, diplomatic efforts are intensifying. Turkish, Qatari, and Egyptian officials convened in Wednesday in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire, which began in October and has, so far, held despite accusations of violations from both sides. The forthcoming stages of the agreement are ambitious and complex, centring on two key pillars:
- Deploying an international stabilisation force tasked with maintaining security and ensuring the disarmament of Hamas, a fundamental Israeli demand. Indonesian officials have signalled their intention to contribute 20,000 peacekeepers to this force.
- Developing an international body to govern Gaza and oversee the monumental task of reconstruction.
Major questions hang over nearly every aspect of this plan, including its implementation timeframe. The situation on the ground remains dire, with nearly all Palestinians displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid. Hamas retains significant control over nearly half of Gaza, and rebuilding efforts have barely started.
Human Cost and a Community in Mourning
The human tragedy continues to unfold. Israel is mourning Dror Or, whose story underscores the horror of the conflict's inception. The Israeli military confirmed that Or and his wife, Yonat Or, were killed when militants overran their community of Kibbutz Be'eri. In a desperate act that saved their children's lives, the couple managed to evacuate two of their children, Alma and Noam, from their burning house through a window. The children were subsequently abducted but were released in a hostage deal in November 2023.
The Hostages Families Forum remembered Dror Or as a devoted father and a talented cheesemaker at the Be'eri dairy. The October 7, 2023 attack, which ignited the war, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel and the abduction of 251 individuals to Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire, which took effect on October 11, tensions and violence persist. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that as of Tuesday, 345 Palestinians have been killed and 889 wounded in the strip since the truce began. This adds to the staggering toll thought to be around 70,000 killed during Israel's overall offensive in Gaza. In a recent incident, a Palestinian man was killed when Israeli troops opened fire on a group in central Gaza, highlighting the region's fragile state as it remains on a nervous knife-edge.
