GAZA: The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Wednesday that it will hand over the body of one more Israeli captive tonight under a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said in a brief statement that the remain will be transferred at 9 pm local time (1900GMT) after it was found under the rubble east of Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood.
Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 21 out of 28, most of them Israelis, since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. Israel, however, claimed that one of the received bodies did not match any of its listed captives.
Israel has tied the start of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire to the handover of all the hostage remains. Hamas says the process requires time due to the massive destruction in Gaza.
Phase one of the deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Israel has killed close to 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
