The Israeli military said it received the remains of one of the last four hostages held in Gaza on Thursday, as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“The coffin of the deceased hostage, escorted by IDF troops, crossed the border into the State of Israel a short while ago and is on its way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted on X.
Official identification would first be communicated to the hostage families, the IDF said.
It said earlier that the Red Cross had received the coffin from a meeting point in Gaza, adding, “Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages”.
Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas, said the body was recovered in the city of Khan Younis, in the enclave’s south.
Hamas, in its own statement announcing the transfer, did not specify the identity of the body.
Under an October ceasefire deal, Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages still held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including around 1,700 wartime detainees held by Israel without charge.
The return of deceased hostages has been a slower process. Hamas said it needed heavy machinery and excavating equipment to locate bodies buried under rubble.
The issue has cast a shadow over the ceasefire agreement, which was the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war.
— With additional reporting from AAP and Agence France-Presse
