“The effort to return our hostages is ongoing and will not cease until the last hostage is returned,” Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said
TEL AVIV – The Israeli military has received one more coffin with the remains of an Israeli hostage who died in captivity in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
“Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a fallen hostage, which was handed over to an IDF and ISA force inside the Gaza Strip. From there, it will be transferred to Israel,” it said. “They will then be transferred to the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine. Upon completion of the identification process, formal notification will be delivered to their families.”
“The effort to return our hostages is ongoing and will not cease until the last hostage is returned,” it pledged.
Israel and Hamas resumed Egypt-, Qatar-, United States-, and Turkey-mediated indirect talks on settling the situation in the Gaza Strip on October 6. On October 9, the parties to the conflict signed an agreement on the implementation of phase one of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. The ceasefire came into effect on October 10. On October 13, Hamas and other Palestinian groups released all 20 living hostages and handed over the bodies of four deceased hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal. The Israeli side expressed resentment that Hamas returned only four out of 28 bodies of deceased hostages. Later, Hamas transferred several more bodies to Israel. By now, Hamas has returned the remains of 22 deceased hostages and continue holding six more bodies.
BY: The Times Union
