Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad handed over the body of a deceased hostage on Friday as part of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Saturday it had confirmed the body was that of Lior Rudaeff following an identification process.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that a coffin carrying the remains of a hostage has been handed over to Israeli security forces in Gaza via the Red Cross.

Islamic Jihad is an armed group that is allied with Hamas and which also took hostages during the October 7, 2023 attack that precipitated the Gaza war. It said the hostage’s body was located in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Under the October ceasefire deal Hamas turned over all 20 living hostages still held in Gaza

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