Remains believed to be an Israeli hostage found in northern Gaza; sample will be transferred via the Red Cross, say militant officials.
GAZA CITY – Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced on Wednesday that they will send a forensic sample to Israel from a body recovered in the Gaza Strip, which they suspect may be that of an Israeli hostage.
According to officials from both factions who spoke to AFP, their joint military teams discovered the remains under the rubble in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza. A Hamas representative stated that a sample would be transferred through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Israeli authorities for examination and potential identification.
The move marks a significant, if grim, development amid the ongoing war and stalled negotiations concerning captives taken during the October 7th cross-border attack. The recovery and proposed handover of a sample could introduce a new element into the highly sensitive issue of prisoner and hostage exchanges.
An Islamic Jihad source corroborated the plan, though no additional information was provided regarding the condition of the remains or the timeline for the transfer.
