ISRAEL has returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians, days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage, a Gaza Health Ministry official said on Thursday.

It marks the last hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas carried out as part of the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire reached in October.

The Red Cross said that it helped facilitate the return of the bodies. They were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, health ministry spokesman Zaher al-Wahidi said.

The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, had been a key part of the first phase in the ceasefire that paused the war.

Israel agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage recovered, according to the ceasefire terms.

It’s unclear if the bodies released on Thursday were of Palestinian detainees who died in Israeli custody or bodies taken from Gaza by Israeli troops during the war.

Israel has released roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire deal, many of whom were seized by Israeli troops during the more than two-year destruction of Gaza and held without being charged.

It also has released the bodies of 360 Palestinians back to Gaza, where officials have struggled to identify them.

The Gaza health ministry has posted photos of the deceased for families to identify. Of the bodies handed back by Israel, about 100 have been identified by families, Mr Wahidi said.