The swap has also seen the last 20 surviving hostages return home from Gaza in exchange for nearly 2000 Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, as well as a halt in the fighting and bombardment.
The remains of 20 other hostages are still in Gaza, and there is domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tie aid to the fate of the bodies.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to cut off supplies to Gaza if Hamas fails to return the remains of soldiers still held in the territory.
On Wednesday, a lifeline border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remained shut despite reports that it could reopen to aid convoys, as Israel insisted Hamas hand over the remains of the last deceased hostages.
-Agence France-Presse
