Hamas will hand over the bodies of two Israeli hostages, the armed wing of the militant group said on Saturday.
The exchange is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET), al-Qassam Brigades said.
Hamas has so far only returned 10 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages outlined in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that went into effect last week.
The ceasefire in Gaza appears to be largely holding as it entered its second week, but the truce has come under strain from the remaining hostage bodies in Gaza, the initially slow entry of aid into the enclave, and Israel’s continued deadly strikes.
Protests have ignited in Israel as frustration intensifies over the delay in returning the bodies of the remaining hostages. In Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, large crowds of demonstrators gathered on Saturday, urging the government to pressure Hamas to release the bodies.
Hamas has said that it handed over all of the hostage remains that it could access and that “extensive efforts and special equipment” would be needed to retrieve more. Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.
But Israel believes that Hamas does know the locations of some of the deceased hostages it claims are missing, according to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter. Israel’s foreign minister has accused Hamas of trying to use the hostages’ bodies as leverage.
As the dispute continues, the Rafah crossing will remain closed until further notice, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday. The crossing is a crucial link between Egypt and Gaza, serving as the enclave’s lifeline for humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu’s office said that its opening would be dependent on how “Hamas fulfills its part in returning the hostages and implementing the agreed-upon outline.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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