Israel says the remains of a hostage have been turned over in Gaza

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JERUSALEM (AP) — The remains of a hostage in Gaza have been turned over and are now in Israel, the military said Tuesday, in the latest sign of progress under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

Ahead of the announcement, Hamas had returned the remains of 20 hostages to Israel under the ceasefire that began Oct. 10. If the latest remains are confirmed during forensic testing, that would leave the remains of seven others in Gaza.

The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Palestinian militant group.

The military wing of Hamas said earlier Tuesday it had recovered the body of an Israeli soldier in Gaza and intended to hand over the remains. Israel's statement did not indicate whether the remains were of a soldier.

Militants in Gaza have released one to three bodies every few days. Israel has pushed to speed up the returns and in certain cases has said the remains were not those of hostages. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation.

For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. So far the bodies of 270 Palestinians have been handed over under the current ceasefire. Fewer than half have been identified. Forensic work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The Health Ministry there posts photos of the remains online, in the hope that families will recognize them.

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.

Israel responded with a sweeping military offensive that has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

Israel, which has denied accusations by a U.N. commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting toll.

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