Israel returns more bodies of Palestinians as US downplays threat to Gaza ceasefire

Summary

Israel has returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says, as part of an exchange agreed in the ceasefire deal
Hamas earlier returned the remains of two Israelis - the deal says Israel will return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body
So far, Hamas has returned all 20 living hostages but only nine of the 28 dead hostages - the group says it needs specialist equipment to find the others
The delay has raised fears the ceasefire could collapse, but senior US advisers downplay the threat, saying Hamas intends to "honour" the deal
Meanwhile, Israel says "preparations are ongoing" for opening the Rafah crossing for people in Gaza, but aid will only enter through other checkpoints
Israel does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely

Live Reporting

Edited by Rorey Bosotti, with reporting from Yolande Knell and Tom Bennett in Jerusalem

More from Israeli official: Humanitarian aid will not pass through Rafah crossingpublished at 07:49 BST 15 October

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid line up near the Rafah crossing, in Egypt
More now from the Israeli security official mentioned in our last post, who tells the BBC: "Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing.
"No such agreement has been reached at any stage," the official from Cogat, the Israeli military body in charge of aid, says.
"The date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later," they say.
Preparations for opening of Rafah crossing 'ongoing' - Israeli officialpublished at 07:41 BST 15 October

The Rafah crossing - between Egypt and southern Gaza - did not open on Wednesday morning, an Israeli security official tells the BBC.
"Preparations are ongoing for its opening for the exit and entry of Gazans only," the official adds.
Earlier, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported that the Rafah crossing will be reopened by Israel on Wednesday, to allow 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to enter.
Israel had been angered by the initial slow release of the remaining 28 dead hostages and had threatened to limit aid as a result. Earlier Kan reported that it will open after more bodies were returned last night.
The official added that "humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom Crossing and other crossings after Israeli security inspection."
Anger in Israel at slow return of bodiespublished at 07:19 BST 15 October
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from Jerusalem

The slow return of the dead hostages has provoked anger in Israel, raising fears that it could derail the ceasefire deal.
Hamas has not explained the delay.
Twenty bodies remain in Gaza, and reports in Israel say four more are expected to be transferred later today.
The Israeli authorities had threatened to delay the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and restrict the entry of humanitarian aid as punishment.
But the Israeli public broadcaster says that will not happen now that more bodies have been returned.
Eitan Levi, Tamir Nimrodi and Uriel Baruch named as deceased hostagespublished at 07:12 BST 15 October

Image source, Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
Image caption,
From left to right: Eitan Levi, Tamir Nimrodi and Uriel Baruch
Three of the four deceased hostages returned to Israel by Hamas late on Tuesday evening have been named.
Families of Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levi and Uriel Baruch have confirmed their remains have been identified, according to statements released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.
A fourth body transferred to Israel has yet to be named.
It was the second group of deceased hostages returned to Israel since the start of the ceasefire. On Monday four were returned - their identities were confirmed on Tuesday.
The remains of 20 more hostages are believed to still be in Gaza - and the Hostages and Missing Families Forum says it "will not rest until all 20 hostages are brought home".
Three deceased hostages named as Trump presses Hamas to disarmpublished at 07:12 BST 15 October

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Palestinians sit in a damaged house in Khan Younis on Tuesday
Late on Tuesday night the bodies of four more deceased hostages were brought back to Israel, the Israeli military said - three of which have since been named.
Pressure is growing on Hamas and the Israeli government over the remains of 20 hostages which Hamas is yet to return.
Palestinians are increasingly worried that a delay in the return could bring uncertainty to the ceasefire's future.
The latest return on Tuesday night comes after Israel warned it would restrict aid into Gaza and delay the reopening of the Rafah crossing, until Hamas returned the bodies of all 28 deceased hostages.
So far, all 20 living hostages have been returned, as have the remains of eight dead hostages.
Meanwhile both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have pressed Hamas to give up their arms.
This is something the group has previously refused to do, unless a Palestinian state is established.