Palestinian militants transfer deceased hostage’s remains to Israeli forces via Red Cross as part of Gaza ceasefire agreement involving prisoner exchanges.
JERUSALEM: Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad has handed over the body of another deceased hostage as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed a coffin containing the remains was transferred to Israeli security forces in Gaza via the Red Cross.
The body will be transported to Israel for formal identification procedures.
Islamic Jihad, an armed group allied with Hamas, stated the hostage’s body was located in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
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Both groups took hostages during the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the current Gaza conflict.
Under the October ceasefire agreement, Hamas previously turned over all 20 living hostages still held in Gaza.
This exchange secured the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian convicts and wartime detainees from Israeli prisons.
The ceasefire terms also include the return of remains of 28 deceased hostages in exchange for 360 militant bodies.
So far, 22 hostage bodies have been returned for 285 Palestinian bodies, though not all have been formally identified according to Gaza health authorities.
Hamas-led militants seized 251 hostages during their 2023 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 69,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials.
The tenuous ceasefire has calmed most fighting but not completely stopped all hostilities.
The relative calm has allowed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to their destroyed homes in Gaza.
Israeli forces have withdrawn from positions in several cities while more humanitarian aid is being permitted entry. – Reuters
