Gaza Genocide20 October, 20253 min read
Hamas Returns Body of Another Israeli Hostage Amid Ongoing Gaza Genocide by Israel
Hamas returned the body of another Israeli hostage to Israel via the Red Cross. Israeli forces killed 11 members of a Palestinian family crossing the ceasefire line.
86 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Israel Marks Third Anniversary Of Oct. 7 Attacks With Gaza Strikes, Gaza Officials Say Three Killed →
Hostage Body Returns Update
Hamas handed over another Israeli hostage’s body via the Red Cross. Israeli authorities confirmed the coffin’s transfer for forensic identification. Counts of returned remains differ across outlets.
“Israel has received the coffin of a body that Hamas claims is a Gaza hostage, marking the 13th such return since a US-brokered ceasefire began.”
France 24 reports the handover marked the 13th body returned since a US-brokered ceasefire began. Le Monde likewise says Hamas has now returned 13 of the 28 bodies it pledged. CNN, however, says “so far” Hamas has returned 12 of the 28 agreed deceased hostages.
Israeli outlets confirmed the Red Cross mission and emphasized identification steps. i24NEWS noted the IDF’s call for public sensitivity during the process. A senior Hamas official told multiple outlets the remains were first received from the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades (PFLP) before being passed to the Red Cross and then to Israel.
Aid Blockade and Crossing Closure
Israel is using the issue of bodies to keep Gaza’s Rafah crossing shut and restrict aid. Humanitarian groups warn of mass hunger as a result of this blockade. Peeblesshire News reports that Israel will keep Rafah closed “until further notice,” explicitly linking reopening to the handover of more remains by the group controlling Gaza.
Al Jazeera quotes Netanyahu’s office saying that reopening “hinges” on conditions related to hostages. Mathrubhumi English documents only 339 aid trucks entering per day, which is well below the agreed 600. Newsmax notes that aid has been halted and the crossing remains closed.
The Star adds that the group controlling Gaza says Israeli strikes and Israel’s block on heavy equipment impede the retrieval of more bodies. This situation prolongs the closure and increases the risk of famine.
Ceasefire Violations in Gaza
Even under the ceasefire, Israeli forces killed an entire Palestinian family when an Israeli tank shelled a bus in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood. The attack killed 11 members of the Abu Shaaban family, including children and women. BBC reports that the Israeli military said it targeted a “suspicious vehicle.”
“An Israeli tank shell killed 11 members of a Palestinian family in Gaza... the deadliest single incident involving Israeli soldiers since the October 7 ceasefire.”
Common Dreams and Anadolu Agency document that seven children and multiple women were among the dead, calling it the deadliest breach since the truce began. UPI specifies that the bus crossed a restricted “yellow” demarcation zone before Israeli troops fired a tank shell.
El Español quotes Gaza’s Civil Defense and Hamas condemning the strike as a massacre and a violation of the ceasefire. The incident underscores that Israel is still killing Palestinian civilians during the ceasefire.
Casualty Reports in Gaza Conflict
The Gaza death toll is catastrophic and widely recognized. Multiple sources describe Israel’s campaign as genocide. BBC cites Hamas-run ministry data recognized by the UN of at least 68,000 Palestinians killed and notes a UN commission has accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Common Dreams reports over 68,000 killed with leaked IDF data indicating more than 80% civilians. Clarion India says about 70,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, have been killed, explicitly calling it genocide.
Countercurrents similarly cites around 70,000 deaths and demands an international investigation into Israel’s repeated ceasefire breaches. Israel disputes aspects of the figures, as News4JAX notes, but the scale of killing and civilian targeting are clear in these reports.
Conflict and Negotiation Dynamics
The body returns are entangled with high-stakes power plays involving multiple actors. Israeli leaders threaten to keep Rafah closed and resume attacks. Far-right ministers leverage the hostage issue to undermine the ceasefire.
“Maintaining a fragile ceasefire... Far-right ministers in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government threaten to use the hostage issue to challenge the ceasefire and push for renewed military action.”
Washington figures push disarmament and a post-Hamas governance plan. Tachles.ch says the fragile ceasefire was brokered by Donald Trump and warns that far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition may use the hostage issue to push renewed military action. Haaretz reports two IDF soldiers were killed near Rafah and that Israel then halted aid.
Donald Trump called Hamas “rambunctious.” Al-Jazeera Net and aapnews say U.S.-backed proposals demand Hamas disarm and install an international or technocratic authority in Gaza—plans Hamas rejects. News18 notes Hamas is proposing more aid, reopening Rafah, a Palestinian-led governing committee, and continued Israeli withdrawals.
The Straits Times reports Israeli strikes that killed at least 26 people even as talks continue. In practice, Israel is still killing Palestinians and using Rafah’s closure and aid throttling to pressure Hamas over body returns.