Israel returned the bodies of 45 Palestinians to Gaza on Monday (November 3, 2025), bringing the total number handed over under the ceasefire deal to 270, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said.
Under a ceasefire deal brokered by US President Donald Trump, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned.
Following forensic identification, Israel confirmed Monday (November 3) that the remains handed over by Hamas the day before belonged to three hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
The remains were those of American-Israeli Captain Omer Neutra, 21 years old at the time of his abduction, Corporal Oz Daniel, 19, and Colonel Assaf Hamami, 40, the highest-ranking officer killed by Hamas.
Hamas's armed wing said it had found the remains earlier on Sunday (November 2) "along the route of one of the tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip".
