Overview
- Israel returned 30 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Friday, confirmed by Nasser Hospital and the Red Cross, bringing the reported total received in Gaza to about 225.
- Hamas a day earlier handed over the remains of Israeli hostages Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, which Israel confirmed after transfer via the Red Cross.
- The Red Cross transferred three unidentified sets of remains to Israel for forensic testing, and Israeli officials said they may not be those of missing hostages.
- The truce has been tested by renewed Israeli strikes, with WAFA reporting two Palestinians killed overnight and Gaza health authorities citing more than 100 deaths earlier in the week.
- Recovery and identification efforts are hampered by widespread destruction and limited DNA capacity, as Israel accuses Hamas of stalling while Hamas says searches require time.