Hamas, Islamic Jihad Say They Will Hand Over Hostage Body at 4 p.m.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced this afternoon that they will hand over the body of an Israeli hostage at 4 p.m. Israel time. The terror groups say the body was located yesterday in central Gaza’s Nuseirat area.

The identity of the deceased has not been disclosed. The bodies of three murdered hostages remain in Gaza: Dror Or, Ran Gvili and Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak.

In an earlier statement, the Prime Minister’s Office criticized the delay, saying, “In light of the Islamic Jihad's announcement regarding the location of findings related to a deceased hostage, Israel views with severity the delay in their immediate transfer into its hands. This constitutes a further violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.”

PIJ publicly acknowledged the discovery Monday night. In its statement, the organization claimed: “Today we found the body of one of the enemy’s prisoners (fallen hostages) during search and excavation operations in areas controlled by the army in central Gaza.”