<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel's military says Hamas has handed over the remains of two more hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the remains of 13 hostages have been returned to Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After these latest remains arrive in Israel, another 13 still need to be recovered in Gaza and handed over.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-hamas-conflict-update-jd-vance-downplays-concerns-over-ceasefire-in-visit-to-israel-as-trump-officials-worry/1d2d69f6-1ad6-45c8-be72-8b6315b8c835" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>JD Vance downplays concerns over ceasefire in visit to Israel</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The IDF, in its statement, asked the public to act with "sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families of the hostages".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages," the statement added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hamas' armed wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, said earlier that the transfer of two hostage bodies was scheduled to take place.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/israel-hamas-ceasefire-red-cross-receives-more-dead-hostages/b5812c6a-7ebb-42fb-83a2-475da3bd9e54" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/virginia-giuffre-memoir-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-accuser-reignites-scandal-that-long-dogged-uk-royals/8d52a4c3-4c03-4229-91ee-0eedab7e61ee" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>New accusations come to light as Virginia Giuffre's memoir is released</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before Tuesday's announcement, Hamas had returned 13 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages agreed to be released in line with the ceasefire agreement with Israel, the latest of which was identified on Monday as Sergeant Major Tal Haimi.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>All 13 of those bodies have now been formally identified.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the Trump administration's ceasefire agreement, Hamas was supposed to return all the living and deceased hostages within the first 72 hours of the ceasefire going into effect. Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-update-ukraine-eu-leaders-accuse-vladimir-putin-of-stalling-reject-land-concessions-for-peace/104d4506-b587-4b98-8efb-7a37adfc21e0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Ukraine and EU leaders reject land concessions for peace</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hamas has said "significant efforts and special equipment" are needed to recover the bodies in Gaza. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of the bodies handed over by Hamas under the agreement last week did not belong to an Israeli hostage, according to the Israeli military.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Initial assessments at the time suggested Hamas misidentified the body rather than intentionally sending the wrong one, an Israeli source said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>'Not going to happen overnight'</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest hostage release is underway hours after US Vice President JD Vance touched down in Israel and the Trump administration moves to implement the next phase of its ceasefire plan.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Over the weekend, Israel and Hamas affirmed their commitment to the ceasefire deal after Israel accused Hamas of carrying out an attack that killed two IDF soldiers, prompting waves of airstrikes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both Hamas and the Israeli military accused the other of violations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vance on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire between the two warring parties but declined to put a timeline on the return of all deceased hostages and Hamas' complete disarmament.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home to their families, so that they can have a proper burial. Now, that said, this is difficult. This is not going to happen overnight," Vance said at a press conference in Israel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US vice president also said some of the deceased hostages are "buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are. That doesn't mean we shouldn't work to get them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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