Gaza: Hamas handed over the remains of two more hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday, but said it is currently unable to recover the remaining bodies. The Israeli military said two coffins were transferred to ICRC staff, and would soon be handed over to Israeli forces.
According to Ghana News Agency, under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Islamist group, Hamas is required to hand over a total of 28 bodies, 19 of which remain in the Gaza Strip. The group released the last 20 living hostages on Monday. However, the handover of the remaining bodies now appears to be running into difficulties, raising fears for the stability of the fragile ceasefire.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday, forensic experts had found that one of the 10 bodies that Hamas has released so far, does not match any of the missing deceased hostages. In a statement issued at the same time as the latest handover on Wednesday, Hamas said it has handed over all the bodies of hostages it is currently able to access, and has therefore fulfilled its obligations under the ceasefire agreement.
'The remaining bodies of the prisoners require significant efforts and special equipment to search for and retrieve them, and we are making great efforts to close this file,' the statement said. Many of the hostage remains are believed to be buried under the ruins of bombed buildings or in tunnel shafts, after two years of conflict in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to insist on the return of all dead hostages.
