By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – The Palestinian resistance group Hamas began to hand over the remains of four Israeli captives to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in southern Gaza on Monday.
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said the transfer of the hostages’ coffins began, without specifying the location of the handover.
A military statement confirmed that the Red Cross was on its way to a meeting point in southern Gaza, where several coffins will be transferred.
Hamas earlier said that it would hand over the remains of four hostages to the Red Cross under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the bodies of Guy Illouz, Yossi Sharabi, Bipin Joshi, and Daniel Perez would be transferred.
Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages early Monday in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.