Israel says the latest remains returned from Gaza by Hamas are not of hostages

JERUSALEM (AP) — The remains of three people Hamas handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza do not belong to any hostages, Israel said Saturday, in the latest setback to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The handover followed Israel’s return on Friday of the bodies of 30 Palestinians to Gaza, which completed an exchange after militants turned over remains of two hostages earlier in the week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the remains of the three people did not belong to hostages. It was unclear who the remains belonged to.

Hamas' armed wing said it had offered to hand over samples on Friday of unidentified bodies but Israel refused and asked for the remains for examination.

“We handed the bodies over to stop the claims of Israel," the statement said. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify bodies without access to DNA kits.

Families and supporters rallied once again on Saturday night to call for the return of all hostages. While Yael Adar, mother of the late Tamir Adar, asserted to a rally in Tel Aviv that “the Hamas scum are mocking us,” Moran Harari, friend of the late Carmel Gat, urged Israel to have restraint during a rally in Jerusalem.

“This cursed war has taken so many lives of dear people on both sides of the fence. This time, we must not fall into it again,” Harari said.

Since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian militants have released the remains of 17 hostages. Eleven remain in Gaza. Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged faster progress. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation and Israeli military presence in some areas.

Israel has been releasing the unidentified remains of 15 Palestinians for the remains of each Israeli hostage. The number of Palestinian bodies returned by Israel since the ceasefire began now stands at 225. Only 75 have been identified by families, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

It is unclear if those returned were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that sparked the war, died in Israeli custody as detainees or were recovered from Gaza by troops during the war.

The fragile truce faced its biggest challenge earlier this week when Israel carried out strikes across Gaza that killed more than 100 people, following the killing of an Israeli soldier in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city.

Jordan’s foreign minister warned Saturday that Israel maintaining a military presence in Gaza puts the ceasefire at risk.

Speaking at the Manama Dialogue security summit, Ayman Safadi added it was “imperative” to have a Palestinian police force maintaining security, supported by an international stabilization force with a U.N. Security Council mandate.

“With Israel staying in Gaza, I think security is going to be a challenge,” Safadi said. “Israel cannot stay in 53% of Gaza and then expect security to be achieved.”

The 20-point U.S. peace plan includes the formation and deployment of a temporary international stabilization force of Arab and other partners that would work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza's borders and ensure the ceasefire is respected. The U.S. has ruled out American soldiers in Gaza.

The visiting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, met with Israeli officials on Saturday.

Multiple nations have shown interest in taking part in a peacekeeping force but called for a clear U.N. mandate before committing troops.

Other difficult questions include Hamas' disarmament and the governance of a postwar Gaza, as well as when and how humanitarian aid will be increased.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has offered thousands of troops for Gaza.

“But details, or the term of reference for that matter, remain unclear,” Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono, who like many Indonesians uses a single name, said earlier in the week.

“There has to be a mandate from the UNSC, which we hope will be issued. There has been no discussions so far, and we’re far from settling any details,” he added.

Indonesian officials also have called for an independent Palestinian state but underscored the need to “recognize and guarantee the safety and security of Israel.”

The deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas began with the Hamas-led 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

Israel, which has denied accusations by a U.N. commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry's figures without providing a contradicting toll.

Associated Press writers Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

Find more of AP’s Israel-Hamas coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Relatives and supporters of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip attend a rally calling for their immediate release in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Tents fill a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in Zawaida, in the central Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Tents fill a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in Zawaida, in the central Gaza Strip, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Palestinian child pulls a cart between tents temporarily erected in a camp in Deir al‑Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Palestinian youth pushes a cart loaded with jerrycans filled with water after collecting it at a camp for displaced people in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

People attend a tefillin-laying ceremony led by freed hostage Bar Kupershtein, an Israeli recently released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, at a plaza known as Hostages Square, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Bodies of unidentified Palestinians returned from Israel as part of the ceasefire deal are brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of two people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the Kissufim border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr spoke with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the morning shootaround Thursday about the player's situation being out of the rotation for more than a month now with expectations he will be traded before the deadline next month.

“We talked this morning and that’s all private,” Kerr said. “I will keep coaching him, he’ll be part of the team, he’ll be here. It is what it is.”

Kerr discounted any issues between them as being reason Kuminga has reportedly requested a trade from the team after not being used in the last 14 games since Dec. 18 and 17 of 18 — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.

“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said before Golden State's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks. “There's not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, difficult situation for everybody and part of this league, part of the job. We just keep moving forward.”

Kuminga has been training much of the time on his own, shooting on the Warriors’ practice floor out of the eyes of fans at Chase Center. He wears a black hood over his head on the end of the bench during games. Perhaps Kuminga and the Warriors weren't a great fit from Day 1 — not that it's his fault — and he might be eager to leave and start fresh elsewhere. If so, the Golden State brass might want to make sure he doesn't get hurt before trying to trade him.

Yet nobody has taken issue with his work ethic, at least not publicly. Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft, has been known to stay long after games shooting on the arena's main floor.

“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a very unique situation but our job is just to keep playing, keep winning, it’ll resolve itself one way or the other,” Stephen Curry said.

The 23-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has appeared in just 18 games total with 13 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

On Sept. 30, he agreed to a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team were to exercise its option for 2026-27. Kuminga had had a $7.9 million qualifying offer in hand since June 29 but was also weighing other options and he missed media day.

He has long had the support and confidence of teammates — like Jimmy Butler saying he has been having Kuminga over and continuing to encourage him.

“We love JK in this locker room, that's not going to change,” Butler said postgame. “If he happens to not be in here, we'll still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. It doesn't change. We don't listen to the noise, I hope he don't listen to the noise he keep coming here with a smile doing what he's supposed to do and being the ultimate pro.”

Kuminga missed much of last season with a right ankle injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games with 10 starts. He also scored 15.3 points per game over eight playoff games while shooting 48.4% from the floor and making 40% of his 3-point attempts. That included a career-best 30-point performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kerr said the uncertainty around Kuminga's future “won't be a distraction.”

“Jonathan's a great young guy, his teammates like him,” Kerr said. "He's handling himself well.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, middle, sits near the team bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) swap jerseys after the Warriors defeat the Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)