GAZA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said Tuesday it has handed over the body of an Israeli hostage found in Gaza earlier in the day to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The handover was arranged as part of the ceasefire deal, according to a Hamas source.
Eyewitnesses in Gaza said the ICRC has received the body and is delivering it to the Israeli side.
The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that the body has been received by the ICRC and is "on the way to IDF troops" in Gaza.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Al-Qassam Brigades said in a press statement that the body was found in the Shujaiya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City during field operations.
Since the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect on Oct. 10, Hamas has released 20 living Israeli captives and handed over 20 bodies, while Israel has released 250 Palestinian prisoners serving long sentences and 1,718 prisoners arrested in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023.
Under the ceasefire deal, the first phase of the truce in Gaza includes partial Israeli troop withdrawals, the exchange of hostages and prisoners, and a significant increase in aid deliveries to the enclave. ■
