Israel and Hamas have exchanged bodies as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, with Israel releasing 45 Palestinian bodies it held after Hamas released four bodies to Israel, three of whom have been identified as Israeli captives.
The bodies of Tamir Nimrodi, Eitan Levy, and Uriel Baruch were returned on Wednesday, along with another body believed to be a Palestinian from Gaza, according to Israeli media quoting a security official.
Two more bodies were handed over to the Red Cross in the evening.
Israel has made a new threat to stop the entry of vital aid into Gaza, saying that this was because of the "slow" release of the bodies of Israeli captives.
Levy and Baruch were both killed by Hamas during its attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, while Nimrodi was killed in the Israeli bombing of Gaza, his family said, according to Haaretz.
In Gaza, Israel killed nine Palestinians who were attempting to return to their homes in both Gaza City and in Khan Younis on Tuesday, with Al Jazeera reporting that an Israeli tank opened fire in Gaza City on Wednesday.
Despite the Israeli threats to restrict aid entry through, Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported that Israel will open the Rafah crossing as originally planned in the ceasefire agreement.