DOHA, GAZA: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday warned against violations of the ceasefire in Gaza that halted two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory.
Addressing reporters on the sidelines of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Guterres said he was “deeply concerned about the continued violations of the ceasefire in Gaza. They must stop and all parties must abide by the decisions of the first phase of the peace agreement.”
Israel handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians on Monday, the Red Cross said, a day after militants returned the remains of three hostages.
Israeli officials identified the three as soldiers who were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza.
The armed wing of Hamas said it had found the body of an Israeli soldier who had been held hostage by Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Hamas said the body was found in Shejaia, an eastern suburb of Gaza City in an area still occupied by Israeli forces, after Israel granted access to the location for teams from Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross. For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians.
With Monday’s return, the bodies of 270 Palestinians have been handed back since the start of the ceasefire. Only 78 of the Palestinian bodies returned so far have been identified. Forensic work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza.
Gaza’s Health Ministry posts photos of the remains online, in the hope that families will recognize them.
Meanwhile, a political scandal continued to rock Israel involving the military’s former legal chief, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who admitted to leaking a video of Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee and resigned from office.
At a court hearing on Monday, the judge extended her detention until Wednesday, according to a copy of the decision.
It said she is being held on suspicion of offenses including fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. The investigation continues while she is held in a women’s prison in central Israel.
