Nov. 25 (UPI) — Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad representatives transferred the remains — which they identified as belonging to an Israeli hostage — to the Red Cross for evaluation in Tel Aviv, the Israeli military said Tuesday.
The remains are believed to belong to one of the last three hostages still yet to be identified from the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Hamas and the PIJ announced they found the body on Monday in central Gaza, the BBC reported.
The remains, in a coffin, were given to the Red Cross, which transported them to Israel’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, where they will be identified. The Israeli Health Ministry said the forensic lab received the coffin and identification could take up to two days, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel has been exchanging Palestinian prisoners and the remains of deceased Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the return of Israeli remains as part of a cease-fire deal that took effect Oct. 10.
At the time, Hamas agreed to return to Israel 20 living hostages and the remains of 28 deceased hostages within the first 72 hours after the cease-fire went into effect. Israel has returned nearly 2,000 prisoners and the remains of 330 deceased Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the PIJ of violating the cease-fire by delaying the return of the remains, ABC News reported.
“Israel views with utmost seriousness the delay in their immediate transfer to its hands,” he said of the remains discovered Monday.
“Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
The second phase of the U.S.-proposed cease-fire deal has yet to go into effect pending the resolution of the hostage exchange. The deal includes plans for how Gaza will be governed after the end of the war, reconstruction, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hamas.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.