(MENAFN) Israeli officials have obtained from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) the bodies of three Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli public broadcasting authority, on Friday.

The report stated that the bodies were delivered to the National Forensic Institute for further examination and identification procedures.

No additional information was released regarding the specific circumstances or the conditions surrounding the transfer of the remains.

Following the commencement of a truce on Oct. 10 in Gaza, Hamas has freed 20 living Israeli captives and returned the remains of 19 out of 28 individuals, most of whom were Israeli nationals. However, Israel asserted that one of the retrieved bodies did not correspond to any of its documented captives.

According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel has killed 211 Palestinians and wounded 597 others since the ceasefire began.

Israeli authorities have linked the initiation of discussions for the second phase of the multi-stage ceasefire to the complete return of all hostage remains. Hamas, on the other hand, has indicated that the process will take time due to the extensive devastation across Gaza.

The first stage of the agreement involves the liberation of Israeli hostages in return for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

The proposal also includes plans for the reconstruction of Gaza and the creation of a new administrative structure excluding Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have caused the deaths of over 68,500 individuals—mostly women and children—and left more than 170,600 people injured.

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