Gaza Ceasefire: Bodies Exchanged Amid Fragile Truce

The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad returned a deceased hostage's body to Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire. Under the ceasefire deal, Israel and Hamas exchanged bodies alongside living hostages. Israeli forces received the remains via the Red Cross to identify them back in Israel.

JERUSALEM, Nov 7 (Reuters) - In a significant development, Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad has returned the remains of a deceased hostage to Israel, in a move that forms part of the broader Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the coffin carrying the remains was handed over to Israeli security forces in Gaza through the Red Cross and is being transported to Israel for identification. This transfer follows an earlier agreement under the ceasefire truce, wherein Hamas returned all 20 living hostages held since the October 2023 conflict, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

So far under the ceasefire, Israel has received the remains of 22 deceased hostages, with more exchanges expected. The ceasefire has momentarily eased fighting, allowing displaced Palestinians to return, though tensions remain. Israeli health officials continue to wrestle with the toll of nearly 69,000 Palestinian civilian deaths reported during Israel's retaliatory offensive.

(With inputs from agencies.)