Gaza, MINA – The Israeli military announced that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had received the body of an Israeli captive from the Hamas group in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. This handover was carried out as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement between the two sides.
Earlier, the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that together with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, they would hand over the body to the ICRC at 7:00 PM GMT. The body was reportedly found beneath the rubble of a building in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, following intense air strikes some time ago.
In a statement quoted by TRT World, the Al-Qassam Brigades affirmed that the step was part of their commitment to the humanitarian agreement arranged through international mediation.
“This handover is a humanitarian act within the framework of the currently applicable ceasefire,” the Al-Qassam statement read.
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Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed that it had received information from the Red Cross regarding the process of returning the body and would conduct formal identification immediately upon its arrival in Israeli territory.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups has brought several positive developments on the ground, including the exchange of captives and humanitarian aid efforts for Gaza’s civilians affected by the war.
The situation in Gaza itself remains fragile despite the pause in fighting. Thousands of Palestinians continue to face a humanitarian crisis due to the blockade and widespread infrastructure damage since the military aggression began.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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