Israel has reportedly conditioned the start of negotiations to launch the second phase of the ceasefire agreement on receiving the remains of all the captives.
Israel announced on Tuesday that it had received the remains of one of the last two captives held in the besieged Gaza Strip.
A statement issued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that it “has received, via the Red Cross, findings” that were handed over to Israeli occupation forces inside the Gaza Strip, “where it will be received in a military ceremony” with the participation of an Israeli army rabbi.
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“It will then be transferred to Israel, to the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine. Upon completion of the identification process, formal notification will be delivered to the family,” the statement added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, announced that it would hand over the remains of one of the last two captives held in Gaza, according to Al-Jazeera Arabic.
According to the Times of Israel, the bodies of two remaining captives held in Gaza belonged to Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak, who were captured during the October 7 Resistance operation in 2023.
Phase Two of Deal
Israel has conditioned the start of negotiations to launch the second phase of the ceasefire agreement on receiving the remains of all the captives.
In exchange for the remains of each captive, Israel will release the bodies of 15 Palestinians killed during the 2014 Gaza war and whose remains it is currently holding. Most of the bodies of Palestinian prisoners that were handed over showed signs of severe torture, as well as starvation and medical neglect. Some were even killed by suffocation.
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Meanwhile, there are 9,500 missing Palestinians killed by the Israeli army whose bodies remain under the rubble, according to Gaza’s Media Office, cited by the Anadolu news agency.
More than 10,000 Palestinian prisoners, including children and women, are still held in Israeli prisons. They suffer torture, starvation, and medical neglect, and many have died, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
Israeli Violations
Under the ceasefire agreement that went into effect on October 10, the Israeli army redeployed behind the so-called “yellow line,” which gives it control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.
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Israel has repeatedly violated the agreement by opening fire on Palestinian civilians in areas it does not control under the deal, while Hamas has announced its full commitment to the terms of the agreement and urged the US to pressure Israel to comply, Anadolu reported.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 357 Palestinians have been killed and more than 900 others injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire.
Over 70,000 Killed
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of over 70,000 Palestinians, with more than 170,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
Farewell to photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi, after he was targeted by an Israeli drone in the center of Khan Yunis city in the southern Gaza Strip this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/uvjVDgpRtP
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) December 2, 2025
In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(AJA, PC, Anadolu)
