Israel has returned the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners to Gaza, bringing the total returned to 225 as part of an ongoing exchange deal under the US-mediated ceasefire agreement signed on October 9, 2025. According to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, the bodies were handed over by Israeli authorities to the Red Cross before being received in Gaza. The exchange follows the terms of the truce, which stipulates that for every dead Israeli hostage returned by Hamas, Israel will return the remains of 15 Palestinians.

The ceasefire plan, brokered by the United States, involves a phased release of hostages and the return of prisoners, alongside a withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza. Since the ceasefire commenced on October 10, Hamas has returned 20 surviving hostages and sent back bodies of 28 dead Israeli hostages, although the pace of returns has been slow, causing tension in Israel. Israel has expressed frustration with Hamas's delays, while Hamas maintains that ongoing bombardment has made locating the remaining bodies difficult.

Hamas has also returned the remains of two foreign workers, a Thai and a Nepalese, who were captured in the October 7, 2023 attack. There remain 10 bodies of Israeli hostages believed to be in Gaza, as well as a few others missing since earlier conflicts. Efforts continue with Egyptian recovery teams using earth-moving equipment to locate the bodies amid the rubble caused by years of conflict and airstrikes.

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Israel has accused Hamas of violating parts of the ceasefire agreement, as families of hostages demand stronger measures to ensure full compliance. Meanwhile, both sides face pressure to complete the prisoner and body exchanges swiftly to consolidate the fragile truce and move toward lasting peace. The US-led ceasefire deal marks a significant step toward ending the two-year conflict, with ongoing negotiations to resolve outstanding issues including demilitarization, reconstruction, and governance of the Gaza Strip. The return of bodies and hostages remains one of the most sensitive and urgent humanitarian components of the agreement.

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