TEL AVIV, October 20. /TASS/. Israel has received via the Red Cross the body of one more hostage who died in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
"Israel has received, via the Red Cross, the coffin containing the remains of a deceased hostage, which was handed over to an IDF and ISA force inside the Gaza Strip. From there, the coffin will be transferred to Israel," it said. "It will then be transferred to the Health Ministry National Center of Forensic Medicine. Upon completion of the identification process, formal notification will be delivered to the family."
"The effort to return our hostages is ongoing and will not cease until the last hostage is returned," it pledged.
On the evening of October 13, Hamas and other Palestinian groups released all the 20 living hostages and handed over the bodies of four deceased hostages under the Gaza ceasefire deal. The hostages were handed over to the Israeli military through the Red Cross and are already in Israel’s territory. The Israeli side expressed resentment that Hamas has returned only four out of 28 bodies of deceased hostages. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz accused Hamas of failing to implement its commitments under the deal and warned that any delay or deviation from fulfilling obligations will be deemed a gross violation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and will entail an appropriate response. Overall, since October 13, Israel has received the bodies of 13 deceased hostages.