Overview
- The ICRC transferred three coffins handed over by Hamas to Israeli forces in Gaza for repatriation and identification, with families to be informed only after confirmation.
- Hamas said the bodies were found in a tunnel in southern Gaza and released images naming Col. Asaf Hamami as one of the dead, a claim pending forensic verification.
- If confirmed as hostages, the number of hostage bodies believed to remain in Gaza would drop from eleven to eight under the current exchange framework.
- Friday’s earlier handover of three bodies was determined not to match any known hostages and those remains were returned to Gaza, underscoring identification challenges.
- Search efforts have included ICRC, Egyptian personnel and Al Qassam entering Beni Suhaila beyond the so‑called yellow line, an area under Israeli control, as staggered transfers continue.