Hamas to Hand Over Bodies of Three Deceased Hostages as Part of Truce Extension

30 November 2023

The Palestinian movement Hamas will transfer the bodies of three hostages previously killed in the Gaza Strip. Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas leadership, confirmed this in an interview with the Qatari TV channel Al Araby.

 

"As part of the extended ceasefire, we will hand over the bodies of three Israelis who lost their lives during the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip," he said.

 

Naim reaffirmed the group's readiness to release male hostages who are not soldiers if the ceasefire is extended and a comprehensive agreement is reached. He also said that Israel has violated the truce in the Gaza Strip multiple times, resulting in the deaths of residents in the enclave who were inspecting the condition of their homes in the north of the area.

 

On Thursday, Hamas asserted that Israeli authorities "refused to accept a group of seven women and children hostages and the bodies of three other detainees killed in the Zionist bombardment of the Gaza Strip in exchange for an extension of the truce."

 

On November 22, the Palestinian movement Hamas reported reaching an agreement with Israel, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, on a four-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, which went into effect on November 24. The agreements called for the release of children, teenagers (under 19 years of age), and women held in the enclave in exchange for the release of children, teenagers (under 19 years of age), and women from Israeli prisons. On November 27, the parties agreed to extend the truce for two more days under the same conditions, meaning that three Palestinian prisoners would be released daily in exchange for every Israeli hostage released. The Israel Defense Forces announced the extension of the truce in the Gaza Strip less than 20 minutes before the latest ceasefire expired.

 

 

GSV "Russia - Islamic World"

Photo: badwanart0/Pixabay

Based on materials from TASS