Search for bodies of hostages

THE tenuous ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was holding yesterday, even as the return of deceased hostages from Gaza progressed more slowly than Israelis had hoped and health officials in the devastated territory said the Israeli military had fatally shot three Palestinians.

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A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israel's release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire's first phase, but now attention in Israel has turned to when Hamas will return all the bodies of hostages who died in captivity.

While Israeli officials understood there could be some delay in the recovery effort, the families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation representing many of the hostage families, called it a "blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas".

Gal Hirsch, the top official in Israel coordinating the return of hostages and the missing, has told the families that pressure was being applied on Hamas through international mediators to expedite the process.

In Gaza, the Health Ministry said yesterday that the bodies of three people killed by the Israeli military in the northern part of the territory were taken to Al-Ahli hospital, in Gaza City.