On December 2, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office announced that Israel “received, via the Red Cross, findings that were handed over to an IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and ISA [Israel Security Agency] force inside the Gaza Strip,” a reference to the transfer of unidentified remains that may be those of a hostage held in Gaza. The statement came as Israel expects Hamas to return the bodies of IDF Master Sergeant Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak, the last two hostages held in the territory.
This latest transfer of unidentified remains occurred a week after the body of slain hostage Dror Or was returned from Gaza. However, a positive identification of the newest release is in doubt. “Officials now say the early assessment suggests they [the unidentified remains] do not belong to a fallen hostage. The identification process remains ongoing at the National Center of Forensic Medicine,” Ynet noted on December 2. On December 3, Hamas announced that “it will hand over a body of a hostage” at 5 pm but “did not say which of the two remaining deceased hostages it believed it to be.”
As Israel awaits information on the last hostages, Qatar urged the ceasefire in Gaza to move forward. “Gaza talks mediator Qatar said on Tuesday it hoped Israel and Hamas could be brought to a new phase of negotiations for a peace deal in the Palestinian territory following their October ceasefire agreement,” Al Arabiya reported. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al Ansari noted, “We think that we should be pushing the parties to stage two very, very soon.”
The UAE-based Al Ain newspaper reported that there were concerns that plans to deploy an international stabilization force, as envisioned by the US peace proposal and a subsequent UN resolution supporting it, are stalling. The report said that Indonesia was prepared to send up to 1,200 personnel to Gaza who would focus on “health and construction” rather than performing combat roles. The report also named Azerbaijan, Pakistan, and other countries that could support the mission, including stating that Italy could help train Palestinian police.
The calls for progress on the ceasefire and discussions about an international force took place as US Central Command (CENTCOM) continues to coordinate humanitarian aid entering Gaza. “One month after achieving full operational capability, the U.S.-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) has grown to include representatives from 50 partner nations and international organizations,” CENTCOM said on November 28.
The CMCC has helped facilitate the movement of 24,000 aid trucks into Gaza since it was founded on November 17. “In bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders—including the Israel Defense Forces, COGAT, U.S. military and civilians, partner nation militaries and civilians, United Nations organizations, and non-governmental organizations—the CMCC is uniquely positioned to ensure the success of humanitarian assistance efforts,” United States Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin added. Fagin is the co-leader of the CMCC, alongside Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, commander of US Army Central.
The IDF continues to report daily clashes with suspected terrorists in Gaza. On December 2, the IDF said it eliminated “terrorists who crossed the Yellow Line” that divides the territory into areas of IDF control and Palestinian control. On December 1, a suspected terrorist was also killed. On November 30, the Israeli military killed the commander of Hamas’s East Rafah Battalion, the IDF said. He was part of a group of several dozen Hamas members who became trapped in tunnels under Rafah after the ceasefire. The Israeli military also said suspects had been killed on December 29, and one terrorist was eliminated on December 28.
The Israeli military detailed the operations of its Gaza Division over the last month of the ceasefire. It said that “troops from the Nahal and Golani Brigades, together with Yahalom […] have been operating in a concentrated effort in the eastern Rafah area, with the aim of dismantling the underground tunnel routes that remain in the area and bringing about the elimination of the terrorists hiding out within them.” The IDF said on November 30 that around 40 terrorists had been eliminated in this southern Gaza area in a week of fighting.
