Israel says latest remains Hamas returned from Gaza are not of hostages, straining ceasefire

Israel says latest remains Hamas returned from Gaza are not of hostages, straining ceasefire World Nov 1, 2025 3:11 PM EDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — The remains of three people Hamas handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza do not belong to any hostages, Israel said Saturday, in the latest setback to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

READ MORE: Red Cross says unidentified remains of 3 people have been transferred to Israel from Gaza

The handover followed Israel’s return on Friday of the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza, which completed an exchange after militants turned over remains of two hostages earlier in the week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the remains of the three people did not belong to hostages. It was unclear who the remains be