Gaza, MINA – The Palestinian group Hamas transferred the remains of another Israeli hostage to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) late Wednesday, as part of its ceasefire agreement with Israel, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Israeli occupation military confirmed in a statement that a coffin containing the body of a deceased hostage had been received by the ICRC and was en route to Israeli forces in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the repatriated remains as belonging to “the abducted fallen soldier,” according to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth.
Hamas stated earlier that the remains, recovered from rubble in the Shejaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City, would be handed over at 9 p.m. local time (1900 GMT).
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Hamas has released 20 living Israeli captives and returned the remains of 23 individuals, most of them Israeli. Israel, however, has disputed one of the received bodies, claiming it did not match any of its listed captives.
Also Read: Israel Issues Tenders for 356 New Illegal Settlement Units in West Bank
The commencement of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire is contingent on the handover of all hostage remains, according to Israel. Hamas has cited the extensive destruction in Gaza as a factor complicating and delaying the process.
Phase one of the agreement includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, alongside plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and the establishment of a new governing mechanism that excludes Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israeli military aggression in Gaza have resulted in nearly 69,000 fatalities, predominantly women and children, with over 170,600 others injured.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
Also Read: Israeli Army Kills Two Palestinians in Central Gaza for Allegedly Crossing ‘Yellow Line
Mina Indonesia
Mina Arabic
Mina Sport