As of Wednesday night, Hamas had returned the remains of 9 out of 28 known deceased hostages. Observers have expressed concerns that a delay in Hamas returning the bodies could bring uncertainty to the future of the ceasefire. 

The same day, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prepare to defeat Hamas in the event of renewed combat. Israeli officials have repeatedly warned that fighting in Gaza will resume should Hamas fail to fully comply with a US-backed ceasefire deal, which entails the return of 48 hostages, living and deceased, to Israel.