Cairo: EgyPulse – News Desk
Israel has recovered the body of another captive from Gaza, the Israeli prime minister’s office announced on Wednesday, after Hamas handed over the remains to the Red Cross. Israel’s forensics authority will carry out tests to verify the identity of the individual, Netanyahu’s office said. If confirmed to be one of the captives, the number of dead Israelis still held in Gaza would drop to six.
Meanwhile, Israel reportedly returned the remains of 15 more Palestinians on Wednesday under a ceasefire and a prisoner swap deal agreed by Hamas and Tel Aviv last month as part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Under this initial phase, Hamas handed over all 20 living captives it was holding, along with the remains of 22 out of 28 dead captives so far.
In return, Israel has handed over nearly 2,000 living and 285 deceased Palestinians it had killed since the war started in October 2023. Egypt, a key mediator in talks between Hamas and Israel, has urged moving to the second phase of Trump’s plan, which includes political, developmental and humanitarian aspects, in a series of talks with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey.
Phase two is set to include the establishment of the so-called Board of Peace, headed by Trump and other members including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, to supervise a Palestinian technocratic Gaza governance. Under the plan, a temporary multinational force, dubbed the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), will also be formed and Hamas will be disarmed, a demand long rejected by the Palestinian group.
