How the ICRC supports the return of the deceased as part of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire agreement

Under the current ceasefire agreement, the ICRC has assisted in the return of 300 deceased Palestinians and 23 deceased hostages of Israeli and other nationalities. In total, 31 deceased hostages have been returned by the ICRC since October 2023*. There were no prior returns of deceased Palestinians under previous ceasefire agreements. 

The ICRC undertakes this complex humanitarian work strictly at the request of, and in coordination with, the parties. These operations reflect the ICRC’s long-standing role as a neutral intermediary—one that has also supported similar returns of the deceased in contexts such as between Russia and Ukraine, among others. This work represents an essential step toward local forensic authorities identifying the deceased and providing answers to waiting families.

Drawing on decades of global experience, the ICRC’s role begins when the remains are handed over to its staff. The organization’s priority is to ensure that human remains are treated with care and dignity, and that all transfers respect recognized forensic and humanitarian standards.

To this end, the ICRC provides body bags, refrigerated vehicles, and deploys trained personnel to manage the deceased with dignity from the moment they are received until their handover to the relevant authorities. The ICRC does not open body bags or conduct any examination during or after transfers. When documentation accompanies the remains, the ICRC transmits it to the receiving side.

The ICRC does not locate or exhume human remains. Under the 1949 Geneva Conventions, parties to an armed conflict bear the legal obligation to search for, collect, and evacuate the dead regardless of who they are , as well as to use their best efforts to identify them . Parties must provide families with any information they have on the fate of their deceased relatives. While the ICRC may provide technical advice, it is not responsible for identification.

*as of time of publication