The casket of a deceased hostage, recently released, has been escorted by Israeli Police to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir. Here, the identification process is set to continue, according to a police spokesperson.

Earlier in the day, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported that the deceased hostage had been returned to Israeli territory after being retrieved by the Red Cross in Gaza. Once in Israeli hands, custody of the remains was transferred to the forces operating in the conflict-ridden area.

The IDF has urged the public to “act with sensitivity” and wait for official confirmation of identification, which will be shared first with the families of the deceased hostages.

Additionally, a call was made to Hamas, urging the group to “take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages.”

Under the terms of a ceasefire agreement signed on October 9, Hamas was obligated to return all hostages, both alive and deceased, within the first 72 hours after the ceasefire commenced.

Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas has said “significant efforts and special equipment” are needed to recover the bodies in Gaza after two years of war caused significant destruction in the territory.

Before Monday’s announcement, Hamas had returned 12 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages agreed to be released in line with the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

All 12 of those bodies have now been formally identified, the latest of which was identified Sunday as Thai national Sonthaya Oakkharasri.

One of the bodies handed over by Hamas under the ceasefire agreement last week did not belong to an Israeli hostage, according to the Israeli military.

Initial assessments at the time suggested Hamas misidentified the body rather than intentionally sending the wrong one, an Israeli source said.

The latest news comes after the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza appears to have survived its first major test over the weekend – with both Hamas and the Israeli military accusing the other of violations – and amid anxiety in Israel over the delayed release of deceased hostages.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said Monday that the ceasefire agreement, including the return of all deceased hostages, must be fulfilled “one way or another,” according to a Knesset spokesperson.

Diplomatic push continues

On Sunday, Israel and Hamas affirmed their commitment to the Trump administration’s ceasefire deal after Israel accused Hamas of carrying out an attack that killed two IDF soldiers, prompting waves of airstrikes.

The ceasefire deal’s key architects, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner held lengthy meetings with senior IDF generals in Tel Aviv on Monday to discuss ceasefire arrangements in Gaza, an Israeli source with knowledge on the matter told CNN.

The source said the meetings took place in the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, during which Witkoff and Kushner met with the IDF’s head of Intelligence Directorate, Major General Shlomi Binder, and the head of the Planning Directorate, Major General Eyal Harel.

Israel’s strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and the Prime Minister’s military secretary, Major General Roman Gofman, also participated, according to the source.