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ICRC Rebukes Hamas Over Staged Hostage Remains ‘Recovery’ in Gaza

The humanitarian agency says its team was deceived, signaling a threat to the fragile mechanisms that enable remains transfers.

Overview

  • IDF drone footage, first reported by Galei Tzahal, shows operatives burying a white body bag, then digging it up as Red Cross staff arrived in Gaza City’s Daraj‑Tuffah neighborhood.
  • The ICRC issued a rare public statement calling the episode a fake recovery and condemned the manipulation of a process it oversees as a neutral intermediary.
  • The IDF described the incident as a clear violation of agreements governing the return of hostages, including those who are deceased.
  • Israeli officials said the coffin delivered afterward held partial remains of a previously identified hostage rather than one of the 13 still unaccounted for.
  • MK Tzvi Sukkot urged the military to release the full footage, while the ICRC warned that such staging threatens already fragile coordination for ongoing exchanges.