The statement said that for the remaining bodies, extensive efforts and special equipment will be needed to find and retrieve the bodies from the rubble in the Gaza Strip, Reuters reports.
Hamas stated that it is committed to what was agreed in the ceasefire agreement and said that it is “making great efforts to close that chapter”, Tanjug reports.
In a statement published on social networks, it was stated that the group fulfilled its obligation under the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners as well as the bodies of the murdered hostages that could be reached.
“As for the remaining bodies, extensive efforts and special equipment are needed to find and retrieve them. We are making great efforts to close this file,” Hamas said in a statement.
Earlier this evening, the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip received two coffins containing deceased hostages held by Hamas, the Israeli military (IDF) said today.
The coffins were sent to the checkpoint of the Israeli army and the Israeli Security Agency (ISA) in Gaza City, CNN reported, stating that Hamas confirmed that the bodies of the two hostages had been handed over to the Red Cross.
Hamas returned four bodies on Monday that were confirmed to be those of the dead hostages, and four more bodies late last night, although Israeli authorities said one of the bodies did not belong to an Israeli hostage.
The dispute over the return of the bodies of the hostages still has the potential to derail the ceasefire agreement, along with other major issues that have not yet been resolved, according to the US TV network.
The agreement also provides for Israel to return the bodies of 360 killed Palestinians and the first group of 45 bodies was handed over yesterday.
The Palestinian health authorities in the Gaza Strip announced that the identification of the bodies of the killed Palestinians is underway.
(Vijesti.ba)
