Hamas to return remains of 3 more Israeli hostages this evening under Gaza ceasefire

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Palestinian group Hamas said Sunday that it will hand over the bodies of three Israeli captives this evening under a ceasefire agreement.

The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said in a brief statement that the remains will be transferred at 8 pm local time (1800GMT) after they were found under the rubble.

Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 19 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 170,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.