Israel has finally released five Palestinian prisoners as part of a fragile ceasefire deal with Hamas, offering a rare moment of respite for families in Gaza. The five men were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah on Monday evening and were later met by relatives who had gathered anxiously outside the facility.
However, despite this tentative gesture, the human toll of the ongoing conflict continues to mount. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that it received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bringing the total number of bodies handed over under the ceasefire agreement to 270.
Forensic teams have identified 78 bodies so far, and will continue their examinations "in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols" before returning the remains to families. Many of these returned bodies bear evidence of torture and abuse, including bound hands, blindfolds, and facial disfigurement, and were handed back without identification tags.
The handover forms part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, which includes prisoner and body exchanges mediated by Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, with involvement from the United States. However, despite a ceasefire, Israel continues to carry out deadly attacks. Three Palestinians were killed on Monday by Israeli fire north of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Israel's military has claimed that it launched strikes on southern Gaza, saying individuals had crossed the "yellow line", an area under its control. However, the Israeli version of events could not be independently verified, and it remains unclear whether the military was referring to the same attack that killed three Palestinians.
In Gaza City, a child was among three people wounded by Israeli fire in the city's east. The Gaza Government Media Office has accused Israel of committing more than 125 ceasefire violations since the truce took effect, warning that continued attacks threaten to reignite full-scale hostilities.
However, despite this tentative gesture, the human toll of the ongoing conflict continues to mount. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that it received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bringing the total number of bodies handed over under the ceasefire agreement to 270.
Forensic teams have identified 78 bodies so far, and will continue their examinations "in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols" before returning the remains to families. Many of these returned bodies bear evidence of torture and abuse, including bound hands, blindfolds, and facial disfigurement, and were handed back without identification tags.
The handover forms part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, which includes prisoner and body exchanges mediated by Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, with involvement from the United States. However, despite a ceasefire, Israel continues to carry out deadly attacks. Three Palestinians were killed on Monday by Israeli fire north of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Israel's military has claimed that it launched strikes on southern Gaza, saying individuals had crossed the "yellow line", an area under its control. However, the Israeli version of events could not be independently verified, and it remains unclear whether the military was referring to the same attack that killed three Palestinians.
In Gaza City, a child was among three people wounded by Israeli fire in the city's east. The Gaza Government Media Office has accused Israel of committing more than 125 ceasefire violations since the truce took effect, warning that continued attacks threaten to reignite full-scale hostilities.
they're trying to hold hands with hamas but it's all so fragile...i mean, 270 bodies handed over already? 45 more just came in last night...it's like a never-ending nightmare. and the fact that forensic teams have to identify these bodies without tags or any info on what happened to them is just heartbreaking. torture & abuse marks are all over them. it's so sad. they're trying to celebrate the ceasefire but at what cost? 3 more Palestinians killed today...i'm not sure how much longer this can go on 
... five Palestinians released after years in prison is a good start, but it feels like just a drop in the ocean considering how many lives have been lost already 
. and what's with the whole body exchange thing? handing over bodies without ID tags, that's just heartbreaking 
it feels like no matter what ceasefire they agree on, there's always going to be someone getting hurt. and those 125+ ceasefire violations since the truce started? that's just crazy 
. I remember when we used to worry about stuff like this back in '92... seems like the world has moved so far from where we were then 
Gaza, Hamas, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar... it's hard to keep up 
we all know how complex and messy this whole thing is.
forensic teams identifying victims with torture marks and stuff... it's just so sad. and 270 bodies handed over so far? that's a lot of people losing their lives in this conflict 
if Israel keeps breaking the rules like that, then this whole thing is just gonna fall apart again 
. Another fragile ceasefire deal and still so many innocent lives lost 
. And now Israel's still carrying out deadly attacks 
. It's like they're trying to pull the rug from under our feet again 
. We need real change, not just token gestures 
.
it's like we're stuck in some never-ending nightmare #JusticeForPalestine #GazaUnderAttack 
#PeaceIsNotAPrerequisite. I mean, what even are the yellow lines Israel is talking about? Sounds like some dodgy BS to me 
#GazaUnderSiege. Can't we just have one moment of peace without some new tragedy unfolding? 
knowing all those bodies have been through torture and abuse... it's just too much to handle