Israel is preparing to receive the remains of an unknown number of hostages from Gaza on Thursday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
The identities of the hostages have not been released.
This marks the first handover of deceased hostages since the ceasefire deal with Hamas went into effect in January. The Israeli military had previously retrieved the bodies of multiple hostages in Gaza.
In the latest round, three Israeli hostages were released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees on Saturday. Hamas had initially said it would postpone the releases and accused Israel of violating its commitments to the ceasefire agreement. Amid the dispute, US President Donald Trump urged Israel to cancel its deal with Hamas and “let all hell break out.”
Hamas later said it would go ahead with the releases following talks with Egypt and Qatar who had been mediating ceasefire talks and said they would work to “remove obstacles and fill gaps.”
Hamas has now released a total of 19 Israeli hostages out of a total of 33 that are due to be released in staggered intervals as part of a first phase of the ceasefire agreement. The Israeli government says eight out of the 33 are dead.
According to the terms of the initial ceasefire and hostage release agreement, the next exchange is scheduled for February 22, when three hostages are set to be released.
The Israeli government also faces intensifying pressure from the public to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Large crowds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Monday to mark 500 days since the October 7 attack and call for the release of all hostages.
However, negotiations on the second phase of the agreement, which were due to start two weeks ago, and on extending the ceasefire which expires on March 1, are in doubt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would hold a political-security cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss the second phase of the deal. The meeting came as an Israeli delegation headed to Cairo for talks, but only to discuss the first phase of the agreement. Netanyahu’s office said the delegation would “receive instructions for the continuation of negotiations on Phase B matters” after the political-security cabinet meeting wraps on Monday. No news of the outcomes of that meeting have yet to be published.
Netanyahu, reacting to speculation about the future plan for Gaza, on Monday reiterated his position that “on the day after the war in Gaza, there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority,” adding that he was “committed to President (Donald) Trump’s plan to create a different Gaza.”
The warning comes as Arab countries scramble to prepare a postwar proposal for Gaza as an alternative to Trump’s plan to “take over” the enclave, depopulate it and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” The United Arab Emirates has said that it is willing to consider a role in postwar Gaza at the invitation of a reformed Palestinian Authority.
Trump’s remarks and plans for Gaza have sparked widespread international opposition but been welcomed by some ministers in Israel. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz “decided that a Directorate for the Voluntary Departure of Gaza Residents will be established in the Defense Ministry,” according to a statement from his ministry.
“The plan includes extensive assistance that will allow any Gaza resident who wishes to voluntarily emigrate to a third country to receive an envelope that includes, among other things, special departure arrangements by sea, air, and land,” the statement added.
Trump has said that Jordan and Egypt would take in displaced Palestinians, but both countries have vehemently rejected the idea amid fears that it would destabilize their countries, with analysts saying it would create an “existential issue” for them.
