The handover forms part of the US-brokered ceasefire deal, which took effect on October 10, securing the release of close to 2,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for Israeli captives, living and dead.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, has announced it will hand over the bodies of two Israeli captives on Tuesday evening.
“Within the framework of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the bodies of two occupation captives that were recovered today in the Gaza Strip, at 9 PM Gaza time (6 PM GMT,” the movement said in a statement.
The children of Abdul Rahim Abu Amouna, from Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, bid a final farewell to their father, whose body was held by the Israeli occupation for nearly two years before being returned as part of the ceasefire agreement. pic.twitter.com/EZL4hBXCfT
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 21, 2025
With the latest expected handover, Hamas confirmed the handover of 20 living Israeli captives and the remains of 16 out of 28 dead captives, since the ceasefire agreement began last week, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
On October 10, a US-brokered ceasefire agreement came into effect in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s plan. This plan, in addition to a cessation of hostilities, includes a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, a mutual release of prisoners, and the immediate entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.
However, Israel has killed close to 100 Palestinians and injured 230 others in 80 violations of the ceasefire.
Palestinian Bodies Mutilated
Israel has thus far handed over the bodies of 150 Palestinian detainees who have died in Israeli detention since October 2023, according to Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s health ministry.
Most bodies “bore clear signs of torture and abuse, including hands and feet bound with ropes and metal shackles, ropes tightly wrapped around the necks, and blindfolds covering the eyes,” Dr. al-Bursh said.
At Least 135 Mutilated Bodies Returned to Gaza were Held at Sde Teiman – Report
Nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees have also been freed in the deal, many of whom have described systematic torture, starvation and humiliation.
Over 68,000 Killed
In two years of its genocidal assault on Gaza, Israel has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians and injured more than 169,000. 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.
This Palestinian detainee was recently freed as part of the prisoner exchange deal between the resistance and the Israeli occupation after spending two years in prison. Just two days later, his father was killed in an Israeli airstrike when Israel violated the ceasefire… pic.twitter.com/Dv5jFDUKEg
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 21, 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.
(PC, AJA)
