Israeli Army Facilitates Red Cross Recovery of Hostage Remains in Northern Gaza
GAZA STRIP – The Israeli army announced Tuesday it is indeed coordinating with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) too facilitate the recovery of bodies believed to be those of hostages in the northern Gaza Strip. The announcement comes on the fifth day of a ceasefire between Israel adn Hamas.
According to a statement released by the Israeli military, its units identified “several suspects” approaching their positions after crossing a pre-defined “yellow line” marking the extent of their withdrawal as part of the ceasefire agreement, which began on October 10. “The suspects did not obey and continued to approach the troops, who opened fire to eliminate the threat,” the statement read.
Separately, civil defense officials reported six fatalities in two incidents Tuesday. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the first aid organization, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Israeli drones “opened fire on civilians inspecting their homes in Chadjaya,” a neighborhood east of Gaza City, resulting in five deaths. Bassal also reported one fatality from an Israeli drone strike in Al-Foukhari,southeast of Khan Younes in the south of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army confirmed the incidents to AFP, offering the same justification as in the Chadjaya shootings.
The recovery of the hostage remains is a sensitive operation occurring amidst the ongoing ceasefire, intended to secure the release of hostages held by hamas in exchange for palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The ICRC has not yet commented on the operation.
