Israelis gather at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to demand the return of the hostage bodies still held in Gaza on Sunday, October 26. Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Israeli authorities said Monday they had received the coffin of a deceased hostage from Gaza.

The remains will be formally identified at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said in a joint statement.

They requested that people refrain from speculating about the identity of the body until the family had been informed.

Earlier, Hamas transferred the body to the Red Cross in northern Gaza.

If the body is confirmed to be that of a hostage, Hamas will have handed over the bodies of 16 of the 28 deceased hostages that were part of the

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