Gaza: The Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas has handed over the body of another person, presumed to be one of the hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks on Israeli communities near Gaza. The Israeli army announced that the coffin had been handed over to employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), who were on their way to transfer it to the military. A forensic institute in Tel Aviv will then establish the identity of the person killed.
According to Ghana News Agency, under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas must hand over a total of 28 bodies. If the body handed over is positively identified as one of the missing hostages, 15 dead hostages would still remain in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has stated that it is difficult to find the bodies because they are buried under the rubble of bombed buildings and tunnels. Most structures in Gaza have been destroyed during the two-year-long Israeli bombardment and ground offensive in the Palestinian territory.
The Islamists released the last 20 living hostages a week ago, under the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire initiated by US President Donald Trump. The shaky ceasefire was tested again on Monday, with violent confrontations reported by both the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
