Israel wants remains: “Breaking ceasefire”

TT

Updated 13.12 | Published 12.42

 

Militants from Islamic Jihad and Egyptian aid workers search among ruins in Nuseirat in the Gaza Strip on November 22. Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP/TT

Israel accuses the Palestinian militia group Islamic Jihad of delaying the handover of the remains of hostages.

The Hamas-allied group and Hamas say the hostages will be handed over on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, Islamic Jihad said it had found the remains of a hostage during a search operation in the central Gaza Strip. A source within the group told AFP that the remains belong to one of the three dead hostages that remain to be handed over to Israel.

On Tuesday, the group and Hamas said in a joint statement that they would hand over the remains of a hostage in Gaza at 3 p.m. Swedish time. Before the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the handover was delayed and that Israel was taking it seriously.

"This constitutes another violation of the agreement (on the ceasefire). Israel demands the immediate return of the three dead hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip," a statement read.

When the ceasefire in the Gaza war took effect on October 10, the armed Palestinian groups were holding 20 live hostages and the remains of 28 who had died. As part of the US-brokered agreement, the leading group Hamas has released the 20 people who are alive and the remains of 25 of the dead.

In exchange, Israel has released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, as well as the remains of several hundred Palestinians.