Red Cross Facilitates Return of 15 Palestinian Bodies to Gaza Under Ceasefire Deal

TDT | Manama

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In a solemn operation symbolizing the fragile hope tied to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced on Tuesday that it had facilitated the transfer of 15 Palestinian bodies from Israel to Gaza, bringing the total number repatriated to 165.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross today facilitated the transfer of deceased Palestinians to authorities in Gaza. Local health authorities in Gaza have confirmed the number of deceased received today is 15,” the ICRC said in an official statement.

The exchange forms part of a humanitarian arrangement under the ongoing ceasefire, in which Israel is to hand over 15 Palestinian bodies for every deceased Israeli returned. The latest transfer follows Israel’s confirmation that Hamas had turned over the body of the 13th Israeli hostage on Monday.

The delicate exchange underscores the human cost of the conflict and the painstaking diplomatic efforts behind each gesture of return — steps that, while small, remain vital threads in the pursuit of stability and closure for grieving families on both sides.