Hamas returns bodies of 3 deceased hostages to Israel

Hamas returned the bodies of three hostages to Israel on Sunday, with the International Committee of the Red Cross once again serving as an intermediary, officials said.

Though their identities have not yet been confirmed, Hamas described them as three Israeli soldiers. The office of the Israeli prime minister confirmed bodies were returned and would be taken to the Ministry of Health’s National Center for Forensic Medicine for identification.

“All the families of the fallen abductees have been informed, and our hearts go out to them at this difficult time,” the office said. “The effort to return our abductees continues continuously and will not stop until the last abductee is returned.”

The Israel Defense Forces urged the public to “act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification.”

The Red Cross did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on Sunday.

Last week, Hamas returned three bodies believed to be those of hostages taken on Oct. 7, 2023. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the bodies did not belong to any of the remaining captives.

The militant group has returned 17 deceased hostages since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10, but the bodies of 11 hostages are believed to still be in Gaza. Israeli officials have pushed Hamas on the speed of the releases, but the group has blamed widespread devastation and the Israeli military presence for complicating the process.

This is among one of the many tensions straining the fragile ceasefire brokered by the U.S. last month. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaking the negotiated deal, leading to a round of renewed Israeli strikes last week.

Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, told NBC News that more than 104 people had been killed in the attacks, including more than 40 children and 20 women.

Israel’s military alleged that the strikes came after Hamas militants attacked its soldiers in Rafah, a southern area of Gaza currently under Israeli control. NBC News could not independently verify the claim. Hamas has denied any involvement in an attack on soldiers.