Hamas announced on Sunday that it would hand over the bodies of three hostages, even as the Palestinian militant group accused Israel of violating the fragile ceasefire that has largely halted nearly two years of fighting.
Israel is still searching for the remains of 11 hostages from Gaza and has criticized Hamas for being slow in returning them. In a statement, Hamas said:
“We are working as quickly as possible to recover the human remains scattered under difficult conditions.”
The issue is one of several disputes delaying the full implementation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has been in effect since October 10.
Earlier on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike killed a man in northern Gaza. The Israeli military stated that its aircraft had targeted a militant who posed a threat to its forces. The Al-Ahli Hospital reported that a man was killed near a vegetable market in the Shejaia neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, as reported by Reuters:
“There are still Hamas pockets in areas under our control in Gaza, and we are systematically eliminating them.”
Meanwhile, Hamas released what it described as a list of Israeli ceasefire violations. Ismail Al-Thawabta, head of the Hamas-run Government Media Office in Gaza, denied Israeli accusations, saying:
“Hamas fighters have not violated the ceasefire by attacking Israeli soldiers.”
