Live Reporting
Edited by Alex Smith and Dulcie Lee
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Anger in Israel at slow return of bodiespublished at 07:19 BST
Hugo Bachega
Middle East correspondent, reporting from JerusalemThe 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.
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Eitan Levi, Tamir Nimrodi and Uriel Baruch named as deceased hostagespublished at 07:12 BST
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 Levy 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”.
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Three deceased hostages named as Trump presses Hamas to disarmpublished at 07:12 BST
Image source, ReutersImage 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, in interviews with US news outlets.
This is something the group has previously refused to do, unless a Palestinian state is established.
