Palestinian militants hand over the remains of two more hostages

Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of two people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the Kissufim border crossing with Israel (Abdel Kareem Hana/AP)

Israel’s military said on Thursday that Palestinian militants handed over two coffins containing the remains of dead hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza.

Militants had previously returned the remains of 15 hostages since the start of the ceasefire, with 13 more still to be recovered.

The latest handover is an indication that the fragile ceasefire agreement is moving forward despite Israeli strikes on Gaza overnight.

Officials in southern Gaza said on Thursday that at least 40 people had been injured in the strikes, after Israel declared the ceasefire was back in place on Wednesday morning.

Mohammad Saar, head of the nursing department at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, said it received 40 people wounded in overnight strikes on Khan Younis.

The Israeli army confirmed it conducted strikes on “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops” in Khan Younis.

The area in southern Gaza is under the control of the Israeli military.

The ceasefire, which began on October 10, is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.