Cairo, October 30: Israel said on Monday that the Red Cross had handed over the body of another deceased hostage from Gaza to its military, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office.
If the identity of the body is confirmed, the remains of 12 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, where Palestinian militant group Hamas has cited difficulties in locating them amid the widespread destruction caused by months of fighting.
Earlier on Monday, Hamas’ armed wing said it had recovered the body of a deceased hostage and would hand it over to the Red Cross.
The recovery and handover of bodies have been one of the main sticking points in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis and paving the way for a long-term truce. An Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday that Hamas was aware of the locations of the remaining bodies.
Israel has allowed an Egyptian technical team to enter Gaza to assist the Red Cross in locating the bodies. The team, which arrived on Sunday, will use excavators and trucks to search beyond the “yellow line” — an area behind which Israeli troops have temporarily pulled back under Trump’s plan.
