Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages who were held in Gaza under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. But Hamas and Israel are now arguing over the release of the remains of the last 13 hostages. Hamas says it has not been able to reach all of the remains because they are buried under rubble left behind by Israel’s two-year offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel has accused the militants of dragging their feet and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all of the remains are not returned.

Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The ensuing war has killed more than 68,000 Palestinians in Gaza, about half of whom were women and children, according to th

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