Overview

• Hamas said it has handed over all the bodies it can reach after returning new remains through the Red Cross and claimed further recovery requires specialized equipment and safe conditions.
• Israeli forensics identified three of four bodies delivered Tuesday and said one did not match any known hostage, as two additional coffins arrived Wednesday for identification.
• The Red Cross continues shuttling remains between the parties, while Israel returned 45 Palestinian bodies on Wednesday, taking total Palestinian remains repatriated in this phase to about 90.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retrieve every fallen hostage, and Israeli officials warned of curbs on aid, a still-closed Rafah crossing, or renewed combat if deliveries fall short.
• U.S. officials said Hamas intends to honor the agreement, as President Donald Trump and CENTCOM’s Brad Cooper pressed for the group’s disarmament and the UN urged a massive scale-up of aid flows.