It was the latest strain in the fragile U.S.-brokered agreement for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Israel is still awaiting the return of 11 more bodies that Hamas agreed to hand over as part of the truce.
The latest handover came after Israel returned the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners to Gaza on Friday, completing an exchange that followed the transfer by Hamas of the remains of two hostages earlier in the week. The militant group has so far returned 17 of the 28 hostages that were agreed to as part of the ceasefire deal.
The ceasefire remains fragile after Israeli strikes this week killed at least 100 people across Gaza, including 35 children, according to local health officials, after Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce by failing to return captives’ bodies and attacking Israeli troops.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed that “dozens of Hamas commanders” had been killed in the strikes.