Israel Prepares to Receive Hostage Remains from Gaza

Israel is preparing to receive the remains of an unspecified number of hostages held in the Gaza Strip on February 20, reports NewsBox.

This was reported by CNN citing an informed source. The identities of the deceased hostages have not been disclosed yet.

The anticipated handover will be the first since the truce with Hamas ended in January. Previously, Israeli forces had already discovered the bodies of several hostages in Gaza.

The news of the planned transfer comes amid ongoing uncertainty about the prospects of a new ceasefire agreement, despite the recent release of three hostages on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he intends to discuss the second phase of a potential deal with his cabinet on political and security issues on Monday.

The initial ceasefire agreement and hostage release plan included another exchange on February 22, during which an additional three hostages were to be released.