In a series of tense and somber exchanges this week, Israel and Hamas continued the arduous process of returning the remains of those lost in a conflict that has left deep scars on both sides. The latest transfers, facilitated by the Red Cross and under the watchful eyes of international mediators, have underscored both the fragility of the current ceasefire and the immense human cost of the war that erupted after the October 7, 2023, attacks.
On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, the remains of 19-year-old Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen were returned to Israel by Hamas, according to BBC. The transfer, which took place as part of a broader ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, was confirmed after Israeli authorities completed the identification process. Chen, who served in the Israel Defense Forces’ 7th Brigade, was killed during the initial Hamas-led incursion and his body taken into Gaza. “The remains of Itay Chen, a young American taken hostage by Hamas at just 19 years old, have finally returned home. We honour his life, mourn his loss, and stand with his family,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X, as reported by BBC.
This latest exchange is part of a painstakingly slow process. Under the terms of the ceasefire, which began on October 10, 2025, Hamas agreed to return both living and deceased hostages, while Israel committed to returning the bodies of Palestinian dead. According to Associated Press and BBC, Hamas has so far returned the remains of 20 hostages, and Israel has released 270 Palestinian bodies, maintaining a rough ratio of 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage returned. Most recently, on November 4, Israel handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians to Gaza authorities, a day after receiving the remains of three Israeli soldiers—Capt. Omer Neutra, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel, and Col. Assaf Hamami—whose bodies were discovered in a tunnel in southern Gaza.
The return and identification of bodies is a harrowing ordeal for families on both sides. In Gaza, the Health Ministry has struggled to identify many of the returned remains, with only about 75 of the 225 Palestinian bodies repatriated since the truce began formally identified by families. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government but staffed by medical professionals, has resorted to posting photographs of the remains online to aid in the identification process, citing a lack of DNA testing kits. Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, described the state of the bodies as “torn apart and exhumed,” with “flesh melted, their faces erased by fire, leaving behind only bones and teeth,” as reported by Associated Press.
The process is equally fraught in Israel. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum welcomed the return of Itay Chen, but emphasized that seven deceased hostages remain in Gaza. “Please don’t stop until they are all back home. Until the last hostage,” the group urged, according to BBC. The Israeli government has accused Hamas of deliberately delaying the recovery of the dead, while Hamas insists that the devastation in Gaza has made it extremely difficult to locate remains under the rubble.
These exchanges are taking place against a backdrop of ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis. The United Nations released a new assessment on November 1, 2025, stating that 81% of all buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, based on satellite imagery from early October. The death toll in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, has surpassed 68,800 since the start of Israel’s military offensive in response to the October 7, 2023, attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of 251 hostages. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and while Israel disputes the numbers, it has not released its own tally. Nevertheless, international agencies generally consider the ministry’s reporting to be credible.
Amid these grim statistics, incidents of violence continue to punctuate the uneasy ceasefire. On November 1, a 15-year-old Palestinian, Yamen Hamed, was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank town of Silwad. The Israeli military claimed the teen was a “terrorist” and that troops fired believing he was holding an explosive, but provided no evidence to support the claim. The killing is part of a broader surge in violence in the West Bank since the conflict began, with many children among the casualties, as reported by Associated Press. In Gaza, another man was killed by Israeli fire in the Jabalia area on November 4, with the military stating he had crossed the “Yellow Line” and posed a threat.
The slow pace of the body exchanges and the continued violence have hampered progress on the next phase of the U.S.-brokered peace plan. According to BBC, the United States has drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution proposing a two-year mandate for a transitional governance body in Gaza, known as the Board of Peace, and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF). The ISF would work with Israel and Egypt to secure borders, demilitarize Gaza, protect civilians, and train a new Palestinian police force. However, the draft resolution has not yet been formally submitted for negotiations, and several governments have indicated that their participation in any stabilization force would require a clear UN mandate.
Meanwhile, humanitarian concerns remain acute. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, during a visit to Jordan, called on Israel to increase entry points for aid into Gaza, noting that British supplies were waiting for delivery. Gaza’s Health Ministry has launched a vaccination campaign for approximately 40,000 children under three, targeting diseases such as measles, polio, and meningitis, in an effort to address gaps in routine immunizations caused by the conflict.
In a separate development, Israel’s military confirmed the arrest of former military legal chief Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who resigned after admitting to leaking a video showing soldiers assaulting a Palestinian detainee. Former chief military prosecutor Colonel Matan Solomesh was also detained, with Israeli media describing the arrests as part of a broader investigation into misconduct.
As government officials from eight Arab and Muslim nations prepare to meet in Istanbul on November 10 to discuss the future of Gaza, the region remains mired in uncertainty. The body exchanges, while offering a glimmer of closure to some families, are a stark reminder of the war’s enduring toll—and the long road ahead to peace and reconciliation.
