Israel has received remains from Hamas that do not belong to hostages, raising concerns about the ongoing ceasefire. This matters as it could jeopardize the fragile agreement brokered by the U.S.

In a troubling turn of events, Israeli officials have confirmed that the remains recently handed over by Hamas do not belong to any of the hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack. This announcement comes as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that began on October 10, 2025, during which Palestinian militants have released the remains of 17 hostages. The unidentified remains were returned to Israel after Hamas had previously exchanged the bodies of 30 Palestinians. The slow pace of the hostage return process, with only a few remains being released every few days, raises concerns about the stability of the ceasefire. The situation is further complicated by recent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which have resulted in significant casualties and could threaten the fragile peace agreement.