Hamas Says It Will Hand Over Hostage’s Body at 8 p.m.

Hamas announced Tuesday afternoon that it will reportedly hand over the body of an Israeli hostage at 8 p.m., following what it said was the discovery of the body during excavation operations in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.

According to Hamas’s military wing, the body was found “inside the Yellow Line,” the area under Israeli control in eastern Gaza. The group said the recovery took place during search and excavation efforts within that zone. Israeli preparations are currently underway for the return of a hostage’s body.

Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement that the use of mechanical-engineering equipment and coordination with the Red Cross “helped accelerate the process of recovering the bodies.” The group added that it is “making arrangements” for the handover to Israeli forces later Tuesday evening.

Earlier in the day, the IDF reported a separate incident in northern Gaza in which a terror operative crossed the Yellow Line, and approached Israeli troops. The army said the operative “posed an immediate threat” and was subsequently struck and killed by an Israeli Air Force drone. “The IDF remains deployed in Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat,” the military said in a statement.

Hamas’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after the group returned the remains of three Israeli soldiers: Col. Asaf Hamami, 40; Capt. Omer Neutra, 21; and St.-Sgt. Oz Daniel, 19,  whose bodies were handed over to Israel on Monday morning.

Following Monday’s recoveries, Israel said that eight hostages remain in Gaza: Itay Chen, Meny Godard, Hadar Goldin, Ran Gvili, Joshua Loitu Mollel, Dror Or, Lior Rudaeff, and Sudthisak Rinthalak.

As of Tuesday evening, the identity of the body Hamas says it located in Shejaiya has not been confirmed by Israel, although unconfirmed reports have mentioned it was a soldier. The handover is expected to take place later tonight under Red Cross supervision, pending verification and transfer procedures.