Israel on Monday returned the remains of 15 Palestinians to Gaza in the latest step forward for a US-brokered ceasefire, as a top White House envoy met with Israeli leaders to discuss the next stages of the fragile agreement. Israel returned the bodies after Palestinian militants released the remains of a hostage Sunday. With the latest exchange, only four bodies of hostages remained in Gaza. As the first stage of the agreement reached its waning days, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to a photo released by the premier’s office.
The last ceasefire agreement in January 2025 fizzled after the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with Israel launching a wave of airstrikes over Gaza. At the time, mediators were unable to bring Hamas and Israel to the table to negotiate troop withdrawal and future governance of the strip. They face a similar challenge now, as the next stage of the agreement calls for the implementation of a governing body for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilisation force. It is not clear where either stands. The Gaza Health Ministry said the Red Cross handed over the Palestinian bodies Monday, raising the total number received to 315. For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. Only 91 of the bodies returned so far have been identified, the ministry said. Forensic work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The ministry posts photos of the remains online, in the hope that families will recognise them. The handover came after Israel on Sunday confirmed it had received the remains of Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in the Gaza Strip in 2014, closing a painful chapter for the country.
The 23-year-old was killed two hours after a ceasefire took effect in that year’s war between Israel and Hamas. Goldin’s family waged a public campaign for 11 years to bring home his remains. Earlier this year, they marked 4,000 days since his body was taken. Israel’s military had long determined that he had been killed, based on evidence found in the tunnel where his body was taken, including a blood-soaked shirt and prayer fringes
