Red Cross Warns of “Massive Challenge” in Repatriating Hostage Remains

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Tuesday, 14 October 2025, that recovering and returning the bodies of hostages who died in Gaza will be a “massive challenge,” even as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues to hold.

The organization said the task is complicated by the scale of destruction, unstable rubble, and the complex forensic work required to locate, identify, and transfer remains with dignity.

Under the ceasefire’s first phase, all 20 living Israeli hostages were released, and hundreds of Palestinian detainees and prisoners were freed.

While the ICRC has begun facilitating the handover of human remains, only a small number of coffins have been transferred so far, and officials cautioned that locating additional bodies could take days or weeks and, in some cases, may prove impossible.

Israeli authorities said the remains returned to date have been moved to forensic facilities for identification, while additional transfers are expected as access and safety conditions inside Gaza allow.

Hamas and mediating governments have indicated that more bodies will be handed over, but timelines remain uncertain given the need to conduct searches amid damaged infrastructure and ongoing clearance operations.

Diplomatic efforts behind the truce continue, with mediators focusing on sensitive next steps: establishing safe corridors for recovery teams, agreeing on verified lists of the deceased, sequencing future exchanges, and expanding humanitarian access.

Aid agencies have simultaneously scaled up deliveries, but health and civil services in Gaza remain severely degraded, creating further logistical hurdles for recovery and repatriation work.

Families on both sides have urged that the identification and return of the dead be prioritized so that burials can proceed according to tradition.

The ICRC said it stands ready to support these operations, reiterating that restoring the missing to their families alive or deceased is central to its mandate, and calling on all parties to provide the security guarantees and cooperation needed to complete the process.

Sources: Reuters; The Guardian; Times of Israel; The Jerusalem Post; Anadolu Agency.