The remains of a hostage returned by Hamas are body parts of a hostage who was recovered in Gaza by Israeli troops almost two years ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in an announcement that will likely rattle the tenuous, US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

The Israeli military recovered the bodies of some 51 hostages during the two years of the Israel-Hamas war in the coastal territory.

Netanyahu called the return of body parts a "clear violation" of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement by Hamas.

There are still 13 bodies of hostages in Gaza, and the slow recovery of those remains is posing a challenge to implementing the next stages of the ceasefire.

Hamas has said it is struggling to find the bodies amid the vast destruction in Gaza, while Israel has accused the militant group

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