Red Cross Facilitates the Transfer of 15 Bodies of Palestinian Citizens Held Hostage by Israel to Gaza

The funeral prayer for the Palestinian residents killed in an Israeli airstrike in Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip, before the October 2025 ceasefire. (Ashraf Amra-UNRWA)

JAKARTA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transfer of 15 bodies of Palestinians held hostage by Israel to the Gaza Strip on Thursday local time, after the last hostage held in the area was returned to Israel earlier this week.

"The International Committee of the Red Cross today facilitated the return of 15 dead Palestinians to Gaza... This marks the completion of a months-long operation that reunites families and supports the implementation of the ceasefire agreement," the ICRC said in a statement quoted by AFP, Friday, January 30.

Based on the Gaza ceasefire agreement brokered by the US and in force since October 10, 2025, Israel must hand over 15 bodies of Palestinians for each dead Israeli citizen to be returned.

Israeli forces on Monday, January 26 local time, brought home the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza.

"The operation began in October with the liberation and transfer of 20 surviving hostages and 1,808 prisoners," the ICRC statement said.

"In the next phases, the ICRC will facilitate the repatriation of the bodies, including 27 of the 28 hostages and 360 Palestinians."

The director of the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, confirmed that 15 Palestinian bodies had arrived at the medical facility on Thursday.

The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed in a statement that the latest repatriation of the bodies, bringing the total number of bodies held and handed over by Israel to 360.

The ICRC said that since October 2023, when Israel launched its aggression on the Gaza Strip, the humanitarian organization had "supported the repatriation of 195 hostages - including 35 who died - and 3,472 prisoners."