Hamas says it has handed over the location of the remains of the last captive in Gaza, Israeli soldier Ran Gvili, as the second stage of the ceasefire begins in the war-ravaged enclave.
In a statement on Sunday, a spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the group handed over the location of Gvili’s remains with “absolute transparency”, and that it “fulfilled all our obligations in accordance with the ceasefire agreement”.
“We are fully committed to closing this file permanently and have no interest in procrastination. This stance is rooted in our concern for the interests of our people. Working under complex and nearly impossible conditions, we have successfully recovered and handed over the remains of the enemy’s prisoners with the full knowledge of the mediators,” Abu Obeida said.
“We call upon these mediators to uphold their responsibilities and compel the [Israeli] occupation to implement what has been agreed upon.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said a largescale operation was under way at a cemetery in northern Gaza to find the remains. “This effort will continue for as long as necessary,” his office added.
The Israeli military also said that search operations were under way to retrieve Gvili’s body from the so-called “yellow line” area in Gaza, which splits the area between the location of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters.
Gvili, a noncommissioned officer in the Israeli police’s elite Yassam unit, was killed in action on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas-led attack in Israel, and his body was taken to Gaza.
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