Gaza Death Toll Exceeds 68,000 as Israel Identifies Remains of Hostage Eliyahu Margalit Amid Fragile Ceasefire

The UN has confirmed over 400 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza. (File)

Israeli authorities have identified the remains of Eliyahu Margalit, another hostage handed over by Hamas, as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza has exceeded 68,000 amid ongoing recovery efforts beneath the rubble.

According to Israel's Prime Minister's Office, the National Centre for Forensic Medicine confirmed Margalit's identity, and his family has been notified. The 76-year-old was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, during Hamas' attack on Israel, from his workplace at horse stables in Kibbutz Nir Oz.

Margalit becomes the tenth returned hostage body since the ceasefire implementation. Hamas delivered an eleventh body this week, though it was not identified as a hostage. The recovery efforts follow US President Donald Trump's warning that he would authorize Israel to resume military operations if Hamas fails to return all 28 hostages' remains as agreed.

The hostage forum supporting abductees' families stated that while Margalit's return provides some comfort to his relatives, they will continue advocating until the remaining 18 hostages are brought home. The organization plans to maintain weekly demonstrations until all remains are returned.

The return of hostages' remains, stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, has been among several contentious issues—alongside aid deliveries, Gaza border crossing openings, and reconstruction efforts—in the internationally-backed process aimed at ending the two-year Gaza conflict.

Hamas has expressed commitment to the ceasefire terms, including body repatriation. However, recovery operations face significant challenges due to widespread destruction and unexploded ordnance. The group has also informed mediators that some bodies remain in Israeli-controlled areas.

Margalit's remains were discovered after excavation work by two bulldozers in Khan Younis.

As part of the agreement, Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza on Saturday. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that the International Committee of the Red Cross delivered these remains to Nasser Hospital, bringing the total number of bodies returned by Israel to 135.

The Health Ministry also confirmed that Gaza's death toll has now surpassed 68,000 during the two-year conflict. The count has increased since the ceasefire began, with most newly tallied deaths resulting from recovery operations uncovering bodies beneath debris.

Meanwhile, Hamas has accused Israel of continuing attacks and violating the ceasefire terms.

On Friday, the Civil Defence—a first responder agency operating under the Hamas-run Interior Ministry—reported that nine individuals, including women and children, were killed when Israeli forces fired on their vehicle in Gaza City. The agency stated the car had entered an Israeli-controlled area in eastern Gaza.

Under the initial ceasefire phase, Israel maintains control over approximately half of Gaza.

The Civil Defence contended that Israel could have issued non-lethal warnings to the vehicle occupants. The organization recovered the bodies on Saturday with UN coordination.

Israel's military reported observing a "suspicious vehicle" crossing the demarcation line and approaching their troops. They claim warning shots were fired, but the vehicle continued advancing, presenting an "imminent threat." The military maintains they acted in accordance with ceasefire protocols.

Hamas has urged mediators to increase aid deliveries to Gaza, accelerate the reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and initiate reconstruction of the devastated territory.

Aid distribution remains constrained due to ongoing crossing closures and restrictions on humanitarian organizations.

United Nations data from Friday showed that 339 trucks had been unloaded for distribution in Gaza since the ceasefire implementation a week ago. The agreement stipulates that approximately 600 humanitarian aid trucks should enter daily.

COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing Gaza aid, reported 950 trucks—including commercial and bilateral deliveries—crossing on Thursday and 716 on Wednesday, according to UN figures.

Gaza's more than 2 million residents hope the ceasefire will alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel's offensive. Throughout the conflict, Israel restricted aid entry to Gaza, occasionally halting it completely.

Famine conditions were declared in Gaza City, and the UN has verified over 400 malnutrition-related deaths, including more than 100 children.

Israel maintains it allowed sufficient food into Gaza, claiming Hamas diverted much of it—an allegation denied by the UN and other aid organizations.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians. UN agencies and independent experts consider these figures reliable wartime death estimates, though Israel disputes them without providing alternative counts.

The Red Cross reports thousands more people remain missing.