Hamas to return 2-5 more hostage bodies on Wednesday, say reports, as militant group scrambles to find remains | World News

A gunman wearing the uniform of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stands guard as Red Cross vehicles allegedly transporting coffins containing the bodies of four deceased hostages leave a warehouse for Israel, in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Yousef Al Zanoun)

Amid fears of Hamas’ failure to hand over the bodies of all 28 hostages who had died in captivity, derailing the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the Palestinian militant group is reportedly returning the remains of more captives.

Israeli media, citing senior officials, reported that the country is expecting bodies of more hostages to be returned on Wednesday night (October 15). There is, however, no clarity on the number of bodies Hamas would return in the latest round. While some reports say it is two, Qatar-based Al-Arabi channel said that Hamas will hand over the bodies of 5 hostages to Israel.
Story continues below this ad

People light candles outside Abu Kabir, the forensic institute where the identification process is being carried out on the bodies that were held Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

This is in addition to the remains of the four hostages, which were returned on Monday, followed another four on Tuesday. However, Israel has claimed that one of the bodies that was handed over to the Red Cross on Tuesday night was not of any hostages.

This still leaves the remains of 21 Israeli hostages with Hamas, which is reportedly struggling to locate them amid the rubble in Gaza. The Red Cross has also admitted that it could take weeks or even months to find all the remaining bodies.

Currently, a team from Egypt, with the support of experts from Israel, is in Gaza and is still exploring methods for locating the remaining 21 slain hostages.

The return of all the hostages, both dead and alive, was the key demand of Israel to end the war in Gaza.

Though all the living hostages have been returned, the lingering confusion over the deceased captives has raised questions about the future of the ceasefire itself.

Palestinians surrounded destroyed buildings in Gaza City, in the northern Gaza Strip. (AP Photo)

“Hamas… is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return all of our hostages as part of the implementation of this agreement,” a spokeswoman for the government said in a news conference.

“We will not compromise on this, and we will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return, every last one of them.”