Hamas handed over bodies of three hostages yesterday, even as the group traded blame with Israel for violations of the tenuous truce that has mostly halted two years of war.
Israeli forces in Gaza received coffins carrying the bodies of three hostages, conveyed through the Red Cross, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The remains will be transported to Israel for identification.
The bodies are expected to be those of three of the 11 hostages whose remains Israel is seeking from Gaza under the terms of the ceasefire.
Israel has said Hamas has been too slow in delivering them; Hamas says it is working as quickly as possible under difficult conditions.
The issue has been just one of the disputes holding up full implementation of the US-brokered ceasefire in place since October 10.
Earlier in the day, an Israeli air strike killed one man in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said its aircraft had struck a fighter who was posing a threat to its forces. Al Ahli Hospital said one man was killed in the air strike near a vegetable market in the Shejaia suburb of Gaza City.
Hamas released what it described as a list of violations of the ceasefire by Israel. Ismail Al Thawabta, the director of the Gaza government media office, denied that Hamas fighters had violated the truce by attacking Israeli soldiers.
The ceasefire has calmed most fighting, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to the ruins of their homes in Gaza. Israel has withdrawn troops from positions in cities and more aid has been allowed in.
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