Today's release is the first time Hamas has handed over the bodies of hostages during the war, although several have been recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza and returned to Israel.
Hamas says it has agreed to Israel's request to speed up release of Israeli hostages, including two men held around a decade. The bodies of members of a young family are among those it will hand over.
After meetings in Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Saudi Arabia to push President Trump's plan for Gaza and to meet with Russian counterparts on steps to ending the war in Ukraine.
NPR traveled with Jordan's military on a recent helicopter flight delivering aid to the Gaza Strip, part of a test program since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect last month.
Hamas says it will release three hostages on Saturday, resolving a dispute with Israel that threatened to derail the ceasefire. In exchange, Israel will free dozens of Palestinians from jail.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to resume hostilities unless Hamas releases hostages under a ceasefire agreement on Saturday. Hamas said Monday it is delaying the hostage release.
Hamas is delaying the release of the next group of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of preventing aid and Palestinians from returning home in Gaza. Israel said Hamas is violating the ceasefire.
Most Gaza residents are the descendants of Palestinian refugees driven to the enclave in a 1948 war. They harbor a deep fear of being uprooted again, and President Trump's remarks struck a raw nerve.
There are men, women and children on the list of 33 to be released from Gaza. Two are U.S. citizens. Israel is set to free hundreds of prisoners in exchange for them.
The deal was set to be ratified by Israeli Cabinet on Thursday. But Netanyahu says, without specifying, that Hamas has gone back on several parts of the ceasefire agreement at the last minute.
