By Mohammad Sio
ISTANBUL (AA) – The Palestinian group Hamas said Tuesday it found the remains of another Israeli hostage during searches in Gaza City.
The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the body was located during searches inside the “yellow line” east of the Shejaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.
Hamas said arrangements are underway to transfer the remains to Israel, without specifying when the handover would take place.
The “yellow line” is the first withdrawal line outlined in the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Oct. 10. It separates areas still under Israeli military control in the east from those where Palestinians are permitted to move in the west.
Hamas credited the recent entry of heavy engineering equipment, along with the group’s crews and Red Cross teams, for speeding up the recovery of the bodies.
Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and returned the remains of 18 out of 28 deceased captives, most of them Israelis, under the ceasefire deal, according to the group. Israel, however, previously claimed that one of the bodies received did not match any of its missing 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.