Hamas, Islamic Jihad to transfer body of Israeli hostage

The armed wings of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced on November 13 that they would hand over the body of an Israeli hostage at 8 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Islamic Jihad, which is allied with Hamas and also took hostages during the October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war, stated that the body was recovered in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

If the transfer proceeds as planned, three hostages’ bodies will still remain in Gaza.

The announcement follows an October ceasefire agreement under which Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and wartime detainees held by Israel. The deal also included provisions for the return of the remains of 28 hostages in exchange for the bodies of 360 militants.

By Vugar Khalilov