Israel Receives Remains of Four More Hostages from Hamas as Part of Trump-Brokered Ceasefire Deal

The Israeli military confirmed that the remains of four additional hostages delivered by Hamas on Tuesday were transported from Gaza into Israel, as identities of those transferred the previous day were verified.

According to the military, the remains were initially handed over to the Red Cross before being transferred to Israel, representing the latest development in implementing a ceasefire designed to end the two-year Gaza conflict.

"Four coffins of deceased hostages... crossed the border into the state of Israel a short while ago," stated the military, adding that they were being transported for forensic examination.

On Monday, Hamas had already transferred the remains of four hostages, shortly after releasing the final 20 living captives under the ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Separately, a Gaza hospital reported receiving the bodies of 45 Palestinians returned by Israel, also as part of Trump's war-ending initiative.

Those whose remains were transferred on Monday were identified as Israeli citizens Guy Iluz, Yossi Sharabi, and Daniel Peretz, along with Nepalese agriculture student Bipin Joshi.

Sharabi, who was 53 at the time of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, was taken from Kibbutz Beeri, while Peretz, 22 at the time, was killed during the initial assault and his body transported to Gaza.

"Now we can finally bring closure to the nightmare that began over two years ago, and give Yossi the dignified and loving burial he deserves," said Sharabi's wife Nira, as quoted by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group.

Iluz, 26 at the time of the attack, had been attending the Nova music festival when Hamas-led militants launched their assault.

The military reported that Iluz was wounded and abducted alive but later succumbed to his injuries due to insufficient medical treatment while in captivity. His death was announced in December 2023.

The military stated that the definitive causes of death for the four hostages would be determined following forensic examinations.

Joshi, who was 22 during the attack, belonged to a Nepalese agricultural training group that had arrived in Israel just three weeks before the Hamas assault. He was abducted from Kibbutz Alumim.

"It is assessed that he was murdered in captivity during the first months of the war," the military said.

Joshi's Nepalese friend Himanchal Kattel, the group's only survivor, told AFP that attackers had thrown a grenade into their shelter, which Joshi caught and threw away before it exploded, saving Kattel's life.

Sushil Neupane, Joshi's teacher, described him as a "courageous" student.

"We were deeply hoping that Bipin would return home. This news hurts us all... Our hope has died," he said.

Families of hostages whose remains are still held in Gaza continued their anxious wait.

"It's difficult. You know, we kind of had the rollercoaster on the up yesterday and now we're on the down," said Rotem Kuper, son of Amiran Kuper, whose remains are in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Nasser Medical Centre in Gaza confirmed receiving the bodies of 45 Palestinians that had been in Israeli custody.

Under Trump's agreement, Israel was to return the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.

"A big burden has been lifted, but the job is NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase two begins right NOW!!!" Trump declared on X.

Palestinian militants still hold the bodies of 20 hostages, which are expected to be returned under the ceasefire terms.

"We are determined to bring everyone back," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after visiting freed hostages at Beilinson Hospital in central Israel.

Hospital director Noa Eliakim Raz noted that the freed hostages had experienced weight loss.

"Being underground affects all the body's systems," she told journalists.

"There is no fixed timetable -- each person is recovering at their own pace. It's important that they heal slowly," she added.

Twins Ziv and Gali Berman, reunited on Monday, reported they had been held separately in complete isolation, according to Channel 12.

The 28-year-old twins described enduring prolonged periods of hunger, alternating with brief intervals when they received better food, the report stated.