Gaza strip: The Israeli army announced on Tuesday evening that the remains of two hostages were transferred by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza as part of a ceasefire agreement.

According to Anadolu Agency, a military statement indicated that two coffins containing the deceased captives are en route to Israeli troops stationed in the Gaza Strip. The transfer was acknowledged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, which confirmed that the coffins were received via the Red Cross and subsequently handed over to the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service in the region.

The official statement from Netanyahu's office detailed that the coffins will be transported to Israel, where a military ceremony will be conducted in their honor, attended by the chief military rabbi. Following this, the remains will be moved to the National Center of Forensic Medicine, a division of the Health Ministry, for identification purposes. "Once the identification process is complete, the families will be formally notified," the statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas announced it would surrender the remains of the two Israeli hostages, which were retrieved from debris in the region. This action follows Hamas's previous release of 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of 14 others, which were exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire agreement. The agreement, effective from October 10, was based on a phased plan introduced by US President Donald Trump.

The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with the Health Ministry reporting over 68,200 deaths and more than 170,000 injuries in Gaza since October 2023.