'Israel' says received bodies of two Gaza captives from Red Cross

'Israel' said its security forces in the Gaza Strip had received the remains of two captives from the Red Cross returned on Thursday as part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal.

"Israel has received, through the Red Cross, the bodies of two hostages that were handed over to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip," a statement from the prime minister's office said, adding the remains would be transferred to a forensic medical centre for identification.

It potentially marked the first time Hamas handed over bodies of captives in nine days, the agreement required Hamas to return all remaining 48 living and deceased captives, till now, Hamas has handed over 15 bodies out of 28, not including Thursday’s, which have not yet been identified.

A few hours ago, Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, stated in a sudden move on Thursday that they will hand over the bodies of two captives held by the group.

The statement did not reveal the identities of the deceased. The move is seen as a significant pressure tactic against the ‘Israeli’ government and has raised questions about whether it is intended to escalate psychological warfare or send covert messages to mediators to revive stalled negotiations.