Israel Returns 15 Palestinian Bodies to Gaza, Says Hamas-Run Health Ministry

Israel has returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run health ministry announced on Saturday. This brings the total number of Palestinian bodies handed over since the beginning of the ceasefire to 135.

The handover forms part of a ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, under which Israel is to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every deceased Israeli repatriated by Hamas.

Late on Friday, Hamas returned the body of another Israeli hostage, continuing the reciprocal arrangement that has accompanied the fragile truce between the two sides.

Since the ceasefire began, Hamas has handed over:

Meanwhile, the Israeli side has now returned:

In a statement, the Gaza health ministry alleged that some of the bodies returned on Saturday bore signs of “abuse, beatings, handcuffing, and blindfolding.”

The ministry has previously made similar claims regarding earlier transfers under the same agreement, asserting that many of the bodies showed evidence of mistreatment.

The Israeli military, however, categorically rejected these accusations, calling them “Hamas’s false propaganda.”

“Furthermore, all the bodies returned so far are from combatants within the Gaza Strip,” an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP on Friday.

The ceasefire deal, now in its second week, was mediated by President Donald Trump along with regional partners. The agreement includes multiple humanitarian and prisoner exchange components designed to gradually de-escalate hostilities and allow for recovery and repatriation efforts on both sides.

Under the deal, Hamas has agreed to release surviving hostages and repatriate the remains of the deceased, while Israel is to return the bodies of Palestinian fighters killed during the prolonged conflict in Gaza.

Both sides have accused each other of delaying certain provisions of the truce, yet the ongoing exchange of remains continues to serve as a symbolic gesture of compliance with the ceasefire’s humanitarian framework.

The return of the latest 15 bodies underscores the fragile yet continuing cooperation under the current truce, even as tensions persist over mutual allegations of abuse and non-compliance. The process remains a stark reminder of the human cost of the war, with both Israeli and Palestinian families still awaiting the return of their loved ones.