Israel confirmed the arrival of the four hostages whose bodies were recovered. So far, only two names have been publicly released: two young people aged 23 and 26, one of whom is a citizen of Nepal.
Hamas had committed to returning the bodies of the hostages this Tuesday (14). Delivery was scheduled to take place by 4pm, Brasília time, according to information from the Reuters news agency.
The Palestinian group’s decision came after the Israeli government kept the Rafah crossing closed, preventing humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip. The measure was adopted as a way of pressuring Hamas to speed up the release of the bodies.
According to Israeli authorities, the remains of 24 people under the group’s control still remain in Gaza.
Peace Agreement
After months of conflict, Israel and Hamas began implementing the first steps of a peace plan mediated by countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Türkiye and the United States. The agreement provides for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, both living and dead, and the expanded entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. In return, Israel would commit to the gradual withdrawal of troops and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Despite initial progress, the future of the plan is still uncertain. One of the main points of tension is the post-war control of Gaza. Some proposals related to this are the creation of a transitional authority, supervised by international organizations. However, Hamas has already signaled resistance to giving up power and weapons.
