JERUSALEM: Israel on Tuesday said a delay by Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in handing over a hostage body it said it had found in Gaza was a “violation” of the fragile ceasefire.
The armed wing of Islamic Jihad said it had located on Monday the body of a hostage during search operations in the central Gaza Strip.
“In light of the Islamic Jihad’s announcement regarding the location of findings related to a deceased hostage, Israel views with severity the delay in their immediate transfer,” the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “This constitutes a further violation of the agreement. Israel demands the immediate return of the three deceased hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip,” it added.
