Israel has returned the mortal remains of 45 more Palestinians to Gaza authorities, the Palestinian territory's Health Ministry said.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, AFP reported mortuary workers unloading refrigerated trucks parked alongside Red Cross vehicles on Wednesday.
Palestine’s Health Ministry in Gaza said it received the remains of 45 Palestinians from Israel through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), bringing the total number of bodies returned since Tuesday to 90.
The transfer was part of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect on October 10.
A ministry statement said medical teams continue to handle the bodies in accordance with approved medical procedures and protocols to complete examinations, documentation, and handover to their families.
Under the deal pushed by US President Donald Trump and aimed at ending Israel’s two-year war on Gaza, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.
Since the remains of 20 other hostages are still in Gaza, it means Israel holds the dead bodies of over 300 Palestinians.
On Monday, Hamas gave up three Israeli bodies and one Nepalese for transfer.
This was followed on Tuesday by three more deceased Israelis and one as yet unidentified body that Israel says was not that of someone listed among the dead hostages.
The swap has also seen the last 20 surviving hostages return home from Gaza in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, as well as a halt in Israeli strikes, even though Israel carried out deadly attacks against Palestinians on Monday and Tuesday
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to cut off aid supplies to Gaza if Hamas fails to return the remains of captives.
On Wednesday, the lifeline border crossing, Rafah, between Gaza and Egypt, remained shut despite reports that it could reopen to aid convoys.
