Hamas Says It Will Return Remains of Israeli Hostage on Thursday Night

Hamas announced this afternoon that it will hand over the remains of one of the four deceased Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, saying the body was located earlier in the day north of Khan Younis. The transfer is expected to take place at 8:00 p.m. Israel time as part of the current prisoner exchange deal. Israeli officials have not yet commented publicly on the latest development.

According to KAN News, Hamas told mediators on Wednesday that it has information on the locations of each of the four remaining deceased hostages.

In a joint statement, the Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad and Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades said they would hand over the remains recovered earlier in the day. “The Al-Quds Brigades and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of an Israeli prisoner of war, which was found today in the Moraj area north of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, at 8:00 p.m. Gaza time,” the statement said. The identity of the hostage was not specified.

The Red Cross confirmed that it is preparing to facilitate the handover, subject to the required security arrangements and coordination, the organization said.

As of Thursday, four deceased Israeli hostages remain in Gaza: Meny Godard, Ran Gvili, Dror Or, and Sudthisak Rinthalak. Israeli officials are working through international channels to verify the latest claim and prepare for the expected transfer later in the evening.