Israel hands over remains of 45 Palestinians after Hamas returns bodies of 3 soldiers

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians on Monday, the Red Cross said, a day after militants returned the remains of three hostages. Israeli officials identified the three as soldiers who were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that triggered the war in Gaza.

The exchange marked another step forward for the tenuous, U.S.-brokered ceasefire intended to end the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas.

Since the truce took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 20 hostages, with eight now remaining in Gaza.

For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. With Monday’s return, the bodies of 270 Palestinians have been handed back since the start of the ceasefire.

The Red Cross said it had facilitated the transfer of 45 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Monday morning. Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson at the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that Nasser Hospital received the bodies around noon.

Only 78 of the bodies returned so far have been identified, the ministry said. Forensic work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza, it added. The ministry posts photos of the remains online, in the hope that families will recognize them.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s office identified the three hostages, whose bodies were returned to Israel on Sunday night, as Capt. Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel and Col. Assaf Hamami. A Hamas statement earlier said their remains were found on Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza.

Neutra was 21 when Hamas militants abducted his tank crew during the 2023 attack. In December 2024, the military announced Neutra had been killed in the attack.

Daniel, 19, was part of the tank crew and was taken into Gaza. Nimrod Cohen, who was also in the tank, was released alive earlier, as was the body of one of the other crew members.

“Our hearts are shattered, yet at last we can begin the process of bringing Omer to his final resting place in the land he loved and defended,” Neutra’s mother, Orna, told reporters Monday in Tel Aviv.

She and husband Ronen thanked Israeli troops, U.S. President Trump and U.S. negotiators, who played a leading role in brokering the ceasefire. But they did not thank Netanyahu, who many families of hostages blame for prolonging the conflict and endangering captives.

“The IDF soldiers and the U.S. administration fought for his life,” Ronen Neutra said.

Hamami, commander of Israel’s southern brigade in the Gaza division, was killed during the 2023 attack while fighting to defend Kibbutz Nirim and his body was taken into the Palestinian territory.

Militants have released one to three bodies every few days. Israel has pushed to speed up the returns and in certain cases has said the remains were not those of hostages. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation.

A political scandal continued to rock Israel involving the military’s former legal chief, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who admitted to leaking a video of Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee and resigned from office.

Far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, said Ms. Tomer-Yerushalmi was arrested Sunday night. At a court hearing Monday, the judge extended her detention until Wednesday, according to a copy of the decision. It said she is being held on suspicion of offenses including fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. The investigation continues while she is held in a women’s prison in central Israel.

Police conducted a frantic search for Ms. Tomer-Yerushalmi on Sunday after her family raised concerns about her safety and police found her abandoned car near the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. Police said she was found soon after the search began.

Israeli media reported that former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh was also arrested overnight and his detention was also extended.

The Palestinian detainee who was the subject of sexual abuse in the video leaked by Ms. Tomer-Yerushalmi last year was released and returned to Gaza on Oct. 13, according to documentation from the military prosecutor’s office obtained by the AP.