Hamas has handed over to the Crimson Cross a coffin containing what it says is the physique of one other deceased hostage, the Israeli army has stated.
The stays have been transferred to Israeli forces, who will take them to the Nationwide Centre of International Drugs in Tel Aviv for identification.
Underneath the primary part of the US-brokered ceasefire take care of Israel, which began almost a month in the past, Hamas agreed to return all 20 dwelling and 28 lifeless Israeli and international hostages it was holding inside 72 hours.
Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally delaying the restoration of the lifeless hostages’ our bodies, whereas Hamas has insisted it’s struggling to seek out them underneath rubble.
If the newest stays are confirmed as these of a lifeless hostage, it should imply six others are nonetheless in Gaza – together with Israelis and international nationals.
All of the remaining dwelling Israeli hostages had been launched on 13 October in change for 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza.
Israel has additionally handed over the our bodies of 300 Palestinians in change for the our bodies of the Israeli hostages and people of two international hostages – one in every of them Thai and the opposite Nepalese.
On Tuesday, the stays of Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, 19, had been returned.
Workers Sgt Chen was serving as a soldier within the IDF’s seventh Brigade when Hamas-led gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
The IDF stated he was killed inside a tank throughout a battle in Kibbutz Nir Oz and that his physique was taken to Gaza as a hostage by Hamas.
The sluggish progress over the return of the hostages has meant there was no advance on the second part of President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. This contains plans for the governance of Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction.
Israel has allowed members of the Palestinian armed group and Crimson Cross employees to seek for stays in areas nonetheless managed by Israeli forces.
All however one of many lifeless hostages nonetheless in Gaza had been among the many 251 folks kidnapped through the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, throughout which about 1,200 different folks had been killed.
Israel responded by launching a army marketing campaign in Gaza, throughout which greater than 68,800 folks have been killed, in response to the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.