GAZA, January 29, 2026 (WAFA) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday that it facilitated the transfer of 15 Palestinian bodies to the Gaza Strip.

“The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today facilitated the return of 15 deceased Palestinians to Gaza, after the remains of the final deceased hostage were recovered by Israeli authorities. This marks the completion of a months-long operation that reunited families and supported the implementation of the ceasefire agreement,” the ICRC said in a statement.

It added that “Since October 2023, the ICRC has supported the return of 195 hostages – including 35 deceased – and 3,472 detainees. The ICRC also facilitated the transfer of 360 deceased Palestinians to Gaza.”

Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories, stressed the importance that “the ceasefire agreement holds beyond this phase, that humanitarian assistance is allowed and facilitated into Gaza, and that international humanitarian law (IHL) is upheld so people can begin to rebuild their lives with dignity.”

“Reopening the Rafah crossing plays an important role in addressing people’s immediate needs. More broadly, enabling the entry of specialized items required for the rehabilitation of infrastructure, as well as the dignified recovery and identification of human remains is essential in that regard,” he added.

The ICRC noted that “In Gaza, humanitarian conditions, while improving, have remained dire. People continue to face death, destruction and immense suffering. Thousands of families are still waiting for news of missing relatives, many believed to remain beneath the rubble. Many families are also facing significant difficulties identifying their loved ones because of limited forensic capacities.”

“There is still much work to be done, and no single entity can shoulder this work alone,” Lerisson concluded.

K.F.