Red Cross to receive bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza handover

Israel’s army and Shin Bet have confirmed that the Red Cross is heading to a meeting point in southern Gaza to collect the bodies of several deceased Israeli captives.

In a joint statement, the Israeli military said the handover would take place under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), but it declined to specify how many bodies were being transferred.

Earlier, Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced it would return the bodies of three Israeli captives at 8pm local time (18:00 GMT).

The transfer follows days of negotiations mediated under the fragile US-brokered ceasefire. Israel has been accused of obstructing humanitarian efforts while continuing its military operations in Gaza, despite public commitments to uphold the truce.