Bodies of two dead Israeli hostages turned over to Red Cross
Israel's military says Hamas has handed over the remains of two more hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza.
Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the remains of 13 hostages have been returned to Israel.
After these latest remains arrive in Israel, another 13 still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over.
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People hold photos depicting the faces of hostages while demanding the release of all hostages whose bodies are still held in Gaza. AP
The IDF, in its statement, asked the public to act with "sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families of the hostages".
"Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages," the statement added.
Hamas' armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, said earlier that the transfer of two hostage bodies was scheduled to take place.
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US Marine soldiers, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, walk in an area near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel. AP
Before Tuesday's announcement, Hamas had returned 13 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages agreed to be released in line with the ceasefire agreement with Israel, the latest of which was identified on Monday as Sergeant Major Tal Haimi.
All 13 of those bodies have now been formally identified.
Under the Trump administration's ceasefire agreement, Hamas was supposed to return all the living and deceased hostages within the first 72 hours of the ceasefire going into effect. Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.
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Israeli soldiers stand on top of a tank in an area at the border with Gaza Strip. AP
Hamas has said "significant efforts and special equipment" are needed to recover the bodies in Gaza.
One of the bodies handed over by Hamas under the agreement last week did not belong to an Israeli hostage, according to the Israeli military.
Initial assessments at the time suggested Hamas misidentified the body rather than intentionally sending the wrong one, an Israeli source said.
'Not going to happen overnight'
The latest hostage release is underway hours after US Vice President JD Vance touched down in Israel and the Trump administration moves to implement the next phase of its ceasefire plan.
Over the weekend, Israel and Hamas affirmed their commitment to the ceasefire deal after Israel accused Hamas of carrying out an attack that killed two IDF soldiers, prompting waves of airstrikes.
Both Hamas and the Israeli military accused the other of violations.
A Palestinian man carries a box of food from the World Food Program (WFP) after collecting it in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. AP
Vance on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire between the two warring parties but declined to put a timeline on the return of all deceased hostages and Hamas' complete disarmament.
"It is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home to their families, so that they can have a proper burial. Now, that said, this is difficult. This is not going to happen overnight," Vance said at a press conference in Israel.
The US vice president also said some of the deceased hostages are "buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are. That doesn't mean we shouldn't work to get them."
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