Ceasefire Holds as Hamas Transfers Hostage's Body Amid Ongoing Incidents

Cairo: Hamas announced it would deliver the body of a hostage on Wednesday night, a development that highlights the delicate stability along the ceasefire line even as intermittent clashes and air raids continue to test the US-brokered truce.

The statement followed Israeli military reports that two Palestinians were killed after allegedly approaching an occupied position in what the army described as a "threatening manner." Gaza health officials also said a civilian was fatally wounded while gathering firewood, incidents that have raised tensions despite the pause in major hostilities.

Since the ceasefire began on October 10, both sides have taken part in exchanges involving living hostages, detainees and the remains of the dead under the terms of the agreement. Hamas has so far freed all 20 living hostages it had held in Gaza in return for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees released from Israeli custody.

Returns of deceased hostages remain disputed. Hamas says locating bodies is increasingly difficult amid Gaza's widespread destruction, while Israel accuses the group of delaying the process deliberately.

Gaza health officials report that Hamas has handed back 21 of 28 bodies of hostages buried inside the enclave. Israel, meanwhile, has transferred to Palestinian authorities the remains of 285 Palestinians killed since the conflict began in October 2023.

Although large-scale Israeli strikes have diminished, sporadic shelling and air operations are still reported across Gaza. The reduced intensity of fighting has allowed thousands of displaced residents to tentatively return to ruined neighbourhoods and enabled more humanitarian supplies to enter the territory.

Israeli forces have also withdrawn from several urban positions, repositioning behind a yellow demarcation line that currently approximates the areas under Israeli control.

The US-mediated ceasefire remains fragile, with both parties urging Washington to press for stricter adherence and to curb further violations.

Amid a worsening humanitarian situation, the ongoing exchanges of prisoners and bodies provide a limited channel of interaction — a fragile thread helping to keep the ceasefire in place despite deep mutual distrust.