Potential Phase Two of Ceasefire: Remains of Hostage Handed Over via Red Cross to Israeli Police

The Israeli government announced today, Tuesday, that it has received "samples of remains" from Palestinian militants in Gaza via the Red Cross. These remains are believed to belong to one of the two remaining hostages—Israeli Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalaek. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the samples would be sent for forensic examination, while Palestinian media indicated the remains were found in the town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.

Hamas had previously told Reuters that it would hand over the remains of one of the two remaining captives to the Red Cross, though it has consistently noted that the search for the remains is complex and time-consuming, especially amid the immense destruction and rubble in the Strip.

This step is a significant indicator and could be the crossing point to Phase Two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which has been in effect since October 10 based on a US proposal. In this context, both Egypt and Qatar expressed hope for an imminent transition to this phase.

• Diplomatic Efforts: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty announced that his country is nearing the completion of implementing Phase One of US President Donald Trump's plan in Gaza. Egypt hopes to bring in larger quantities of humanitarian aid without restrictions. He also noted that Egypt is coordinating with the US to schedule a Gaza reconstruction conference under joint chairmanship. Egypt also expressed readiness to consult with European countries regarding the training of Palestinian Police to enhance stability.

• Qatari Stance: Spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al Ansari, expressed hope that Hamas and Israel will soon begin discussions on Phase Two, pointing out that talks will cover contentious points, such as the fate of Hamas fighters besieged inside tunnels in Israeli-controlled areas of the southern Strip.

Separately, military operations continued, with Israeli forces shooting dead two Palestinians in Gaza today. In Khan Younis, a video photographer specializing in drones, Mohammed Wadi, was killed following an Israeli drone attack. His company had recently published footage documenting the destruction in Gaza. Another Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Strip, as house demolitions and shelling continued across various areas, according to the German news agency (DPA).