Israel returned 15 more Palestinian bodies Wednesday, officials at Gaza's largest operating hospital said, as exchanges under last month's fragile cease-fire continued despite accusations of violations.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has transported 285 bodies held in Israeli custody to Gaza since last month's agreement was brokered, though health officials in Gaza have said identifying the remains is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits.
Israel has not disclosed how many bodies it is holding or where they were recovered, but has been returning 15 each time the remains of an Israeli hostage are returned from Gaza.
The 15 were returned to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Wednesday, a day after Palestinian resistance group Hamas handed over the body of Itay Chen, an Israeli soldier killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, incursion that started the war.
His family mourned after being notified of Chen's return, which they called bittersweet and demanded further inquiry into how the attack was able to happen, according to a statement from Israel's Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
