Returning bodies of all dead hostages may take time and some may never be found, Red Cross says

By Reuters and ToI Staff 14 October 2025, 1:22 pm

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People carry flowers and Israeli flags upon the arrival of vehicles transporting the bodies of four hostages, in front of the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv on October 13, 2025. The Hebrew sign reads, "Sorry." (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)

The International Committee of the Red Cross says that it will take time before the bodies of all the dead hostages are returned, calling it a “massive challenge” given the difficulties of finding remains amid Gaza’s rubble.

“That’s an even bigger challenge than having the people alive being released. That’s a massive challenge,” says the ICRC’s spokesperson Christian Cardon, adding it could take days or weeks, with a possibility some will never be found.

Hamas handed over the bodies of four dead hostages, with Israel and the families of the remaining 24 accusing the terror group of breaching its commitments under the ceasefire.

Yesterday, the remaining 20 living hostages taken on October 7, 2023, were released by Palestinian terror groups.