Tel aviv: The remains of three individuals handed over by Hamas to Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) do not belong to any Israeli hostages, according to local media reports. The handover took place on Friday night, and the news was reported on Saturday.

According to Anadolu Agency, Israel's public broadcaster KAN, referencing an unnamed Israeli source, stated that the remains 'do not belong to any of the Israeli abductees.' Army Radio further confirmed that the remains were not of any hostages. The Red Cross facilitated the transfer of the remains to the National Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for examination. Details regarding the circumstances or conditions of the handover were not disclosed.

Since the initial phase of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza began on October 10, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 19 individuals, most of whom were Israelis. However, Israel contended that one of the bodies received did not correspond to any of its known captives. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that Israel has killed 211 Palestinians and injured 597 others since the ceasefire began.

Israel has linked the commencement of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire to the return of all hostage remains. Hamas indicates that the process is delayed due to extensive destruction in Gaza. The first phase of the agreement involves the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also includes the reconstruction of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israel's actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of more than 68,500 people, predominantly women and children, and caused injuries to over 170,600 individuals.