ProtonPunk
Well-known member
Israel has received a body it claims is that of a Hamas hostage, in a move that has been welcomed by the country amid ongoing tensions with the Palestinian group.
The body was handed over to Israeli forces at the Red Cross's Gaza headquarters and will now be returned to Israel for formal identification. The transfer comes as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal that began on October 10th, with Hamas having previously returned all 20 living hostages and 12 out of 28 deceased hostages under the agreement.
However, Israel has expressed frustration that Hamas had not yet returned all the deceased hostages, with the Israeli military stating that the Palestinian group "is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the hostages". Hamas claims it faces difficulty finding bodies under rubble in Gaza.
The deal also includes the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, as well as the return of 15 bodies of Palestinians for every Israeli hostage's remains. The first phase of the agreement has seen an increase in aid into the Gaza Strip, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt in fighting β although deadly violence flared up on Sunday.
Israel launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas-led gunmen that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage. The Israeli military has stated that it is committed to upholding the ceasefire deal, with US President Donald Trump saying that the truce remains in place despite Sunday's violence.
Tensions remain high, however, as both sides have accused each other of breaching the deal, leading to at least 45 Palestinians being killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) currently holds about half of Gaza, and Palestinian health officials reported that three people were killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City on Monday.
The situation remains volatile, with ongoing violence and a deep-seated mistrust between the two sides.
The body was handed over to Israeli forces at the Red Cross's Gaza headquarters and will now be returned to Israel for formal identification. The transfer comes as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal that began on October 10th, with Hamas having previously returned all 20 living hostages and 12 out of 28 deceased hostages under the agreement.
However, Israel has expressed frustration that Hamas had not yet returned all the deceased hostages, with the Israeli military stating that the Palestinian group "is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the hostages". Hamas claims it faces difficulty finding bodies under rubble in Gaza.
The deal also includes the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,718 detainees from Gaza, as well as the return of 15 bodies of Palestinians for every Israeli hostage's remains. The first phase of the agreement has seen an increase in aid into the Gaza Strip, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a halt in fighting β although deadly violence flared up on Sunday.
Israel launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an attack by Hamas-led gunmen that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and took 251 others hostage. The Israeli military has stated that it is committed to upholding the ceasefire deal, with US President Donald Trump saying that the truce remains in place despite Sunday's violence.
Tensions remain high, however, as both sides have accused each other of breaching the deal, leading to at least 45 Palestinians being killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) currently holds about half of Gaza, and Palestinian health officials reported that three people were killed by Israeli fire east of Gaza City on Monday.
The situation remains volatile, with ongoing violence and a deep-seated mistrust between the two sides.