Hamas, Islamic Jihad say they will release hostage body

The armed wings of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced that they would hand over the body of an Israeli hostage.

If the transfer, planned for 20:00 on Thursday, takes place, the bodies of the three hostages will continue to be kept in the Gaza Strip.

Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas and captured hostages in the October 7, 2023 attack that accelerated the Gaza Strip war, said the body was found in the city of Khan Younis in the south of the region.

Hamas’ statement did not specify the identity of the body to be returned, which was previously examined by the Abu Kabir Forensic Medicine Institute in Tel Aviv.

The militants will hand over the body to the Red Cross, which will hand it over to the Israeli army to remove it from the strip and take it to the forensic institution.

An Israeli government spokesman told reporters on Thursday that Israel was unaware of any planned repatriation.

Under the ceasefire agreement signed in October, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees of war held by Israel.

The agreement also stipulates the return of the remains of 28 hostages in exchange for the remains of 360 militants.

from EFE