Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed over another Israeli prisoner’s body amid ongoing Israeli demolitions, stalled ceasefire implementation, and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Palestinian media sources reported on Thursday evening that the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas and Islamic Jihad handed over the body of an Israeli prisoner as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
In a statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said that together with the Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Jihad, they delivered the body of an Israeli captive found earlier in the day in the Morag area south of Khan Yunis. The handover reportedly took place at 8 pm Gaza time.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Hamas has handed over 24 bodies of Israeli prisoners out of a total of 28.
Local sources said that members of the Al-Qassam Brigades’ Shadow Unit, accompanied by teams from the Red Cross and the Egyptian committee, travelled on Thursday afternoon to eastern Khan Yunis to continue searching for the bodies of Israeli prisoners in areas that have been leveled by bombardment, with field teams facing major obstacles due to the destruction.
VIDEO | Qassam Brigades fighters accompany a Red Cross team in Rafah, southern Gaza, in search of the body of Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, killed during Israel's 2014 war on Gaza.
Goldin was captured by Gaza's resistance forces on 1 August, 2014, in Rafah, when his patrol was… pic.twitter.com/8PfAfHthsW
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) October 26, 2025
Israel continues to condition the transition to the second phase of the agreement on the return of all bodies. At the same time, Hamas maintains that the process requires significant time, logistical capabilities, and technical coordination.
Meanwhile, the government media office in Gaza said that the bodies of some 9,500 Palestinians remain buried under the rubble.
Demolition operations by Israeli forces also continue in both the southern and northern regions of the Gaza Strip, particularly in areas designated as part of the so-called Yellow Line, where repeated explosions target remaining homes and vital infrastructure.
Civil Defense teams in Gaza today warned of grave risks facing hundreds of thousands of displaced people sheltering in damaged tents across devastated zones in Khan Younis, the outskirts of Rafah, and along the coast.
With winter storms approaching, the Civil Defense urged all humanitarian and emergency bodies to intensify their interventions to avert what it called an “imminent humanitarian catastrophe.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned last week of a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation, pointing to the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure caused by Israel’s ongoing war on the Strip. The World Health Organization also called for unrestricted humanitarian access.
OCHA noted that hundreds of thousands of families face cold, rain, and harsh winter conditions without adequate shelter, clothing, or heating.
Despite the ceasefire brokered by mediators, Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the agreement while continuing to enforce a suffocating siege on the Gaza Strip.
In its daily update, the Gaza Ministry of Health said hospitals received the bodies of two Palestinians killed in the last 24 hours, along with five injured people. Rescue workers remain unable to reach additional victims trapped under collapsed buildings.
According to the ministry, the death toll since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, has risen to 69,187, while the number of wounded has reached 170,703. Since the latest ceasefire on October 11, 260 Palestinians have been killed and 632 wounded, and rescuers have recovered 533 bodies from the rubble.
(PC, AJA)
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