54 bodies, 66 boxes of remains released by Israel, Gaza Health Ministry says

In an unexpected move Wednesday, the Gaza Health Ministry said it received 54 unidentified bodies from Israel along with 66 boxes containing the remains of Palestinians believed to have been killed during the two-year war with Hamas. Health officials in Gaza say they are beginning the work of identifying the remains.

Mu’in Al-Wahidi, head of the special committee for receiving bodies at Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed that the hospital had accepted the unidentified bodies and remains late Wednesday evening.

“We received complete bodies of individuals … and human remains transported in closed boxes that we will complete forensic examination tomorrow God willing,” Al-Wahidi told CBC News freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife.

He said health officials have no details on how or where the people died or any identifying information and noted that the remains sent to Gaza were not part of the truce deal or an exchange for the bodies of Israeli hostages.

Last week, Israeli authorities released the bodies of 15 unidentified Palestinians. At the time, Palestinian health officials said it would be the final exchange between Israel and Hamas as part of the initial phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan.

That move came days after Israeli forces recovered the ​remains of the last hostage — Ran Gvili — held in Gaza for more than 840 days after he was taken by Hamas in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The 54 bodies transferred from Israel to Gaza on Wednesday brings the total number of dead released by Israel since the ceasefire deal began on Oct. 10, 2024, to 414.

The return of the bodies of some of the Palestinians killed in the war was a core commitment written into the first phase of the ⁠ceasefire deal signed last October.

The deal also included the handing over to Israel the remaining 20 living hostages captured by Hamas and the remains of those killed as well as the release of 1,808 Palestinian prisoners detained by ⁠Israel.

Identification work begins

Amani Al-Naouq, spokesperson for the International Committee ⁠of the Red Cross in Gaza, confirmed that the ICRC facilitated the transfer Wednesday.

“The forensic authorities will begin now the challenging work of trying to identify these remains despite severe resource constraints,” Al-Naouq told CBC News.

“Thousands of people remain missing in Gaza and thousands of families seek clarity about their loved ones.”

WATCH | Final Israeli hostage recovered last week:

Memorial service held for last Israeli hostage recovered from Gaza

Israel has recovered the remains of Ran Gvili, a police officer who was killed during the October 7 Hamas attack. Gvili’s remains were the last held in Gaza, having been held there for more than 840 days. The recovery is seen as a significant step ahead of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

The handover of the bodies came on another deadly day in Gaza after Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children and a paramedic, health officials said, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire in the enclave.

The Israeli military said it had launched the strikes in response to militants opening fire against Israeli troops operating near its armistice line with Hamas.

It said an Israeli soldier was severely injured by the militant fire, which it called a violation of the ceasefire agreement.