The bodies of two presumed hostages have been transported out of the Gaza Strip by IDF troops, the military confirmed on October 15th, 2025, between 7:36 PM and 8:36 PM UTC. The caskets are now en route to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification, a process officials anticipate could take up to two days. Hamas did not provide the identities of the two individuals whose remains were handed over. According to the military, the bodies were escorted by police to the forensic institute. If confirmed as hostages, this handover would mean Hamas is still holding the remains of 19 deceased individuals. This development follows previous reports from October 15th, 2025, over the past hour, where the IDF confirmed two hostage bodies were en route from Hamas to IDF troops in northern Gaza via Red Cross vehicles, amid claims by Hamas of difficulties in recovering the remaining bodies due to a need for specialized equipment. Previous reports from October 15th, 2025, indicated that the Red Cross was to deliver the caskets to IDF troops within Gaza for a memorial ceremony before transport to Tel Aviv for identification. Israeli officials have maintained that Hamas possesses knowledge of the exact locations of the remaining deceased hostages. Hamas has not identified the two hostages whose bodies are being returned, according to IDF statements, and claims significant efforts are being made to resolve the issue of recovering the remaining bodies.
