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Israel says the remains are those of another hostage Hamas The one handed over a day earlier has been identified as Eliyahu Margalit palestinian The militant group is searching for more bodies under the debris Gaza Strip And urges more aid to be allowed into the crisis area.
Israel’s prime minister’s office said Saturday that Margalit’s body had been identified after testing by the National Center for Forensic Medicine and his family had been informed. The 76-year-old man was abducted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, from the horse stables where he worked in Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Margalit is the 10th body of hostages returned since the ceasefire came into force a week ago. Hamas handed over an 11th body this week, but it was not that of a hostage. Efforts to find the remains were made after the US President’s warning donald trump If Hamas does not live up to its end of the agreement and return the bodies of all the hostages, a total of 28, it will give Israel the green light to resume the war.
The Hostage Forum, which supports the families of those kidnapped, said in a statement on Saturday that Margalit’s return had brought some solace to his family, but they would not rest until the remaining 18 hostages came home. The platform says it will continue to hold weekly rallies until all remains are returned.
In a process supported by the international community to help end the devastating two-year war in Gaza, the demand for the handover of the remains of hostages under the ceasefire agreement has been one of the key points – along with hopes of aid delivery, opening of border crossings in Gaza and reconstruction.
Hamas has said it remains committed to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, including handing over the bodies. However, recovery of bodies is being hampered by the scope of the destruction and the presence of dangerous, unexploded ordnance. The group also told mediators that some bodies were in areas controlled by Israeli troops.
Margalit’s body was found after two bulldozers dug a hole in the ground in the city of Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, Hamas had also urged mediators to increase the flow of aid to Gaza, accelerate the opening of the Rafah border with Egypt and begin reconstruction of the damaged area.
The flow of aid continues to be disrupted due to the continued closure of crossings and restrictions on aid groups.
UN data on Friday showed that 339 trucks had been unloaded for distribution in Gaza since the ceasefire began a week ago. Under the agreement, about 600 humanitarian aid trucks will be allowed entry each day.
COGAT, the Israeli defense agency that oversees aid in Gaza, reported crossings of 950 trucks on Thursday – including commercial trucks and bilateral deliveries – and 716 trucks on Wednesday, the UN said.
Gaza’s more than two million people are hoping the ceasefire will bring relief from the humanitarian disaster caused by Israel’s offensive. Throughout the war, Israel restricted aid entry into Gaza – sometimes blocking it altogether.
Famine was declared in Gaza City, and the United Nations says it has confirmed more than 400 people have died from malnutrition-related causes, including more than 100 children.
Israel says it provided sufficient food and accuses Hamas of stealing most of it. The United Nations and other aid agencies deny this claim.
Nearly 68,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s campaign in Gaza, according to the health ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in the territory. Its figures are viewed by United Nations agencies and many independent experts as reliable estimates of deaths during the war. Israel has disputed them without providing its toll.
Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross.