Gaza city: The Palestinian group Hamas announced that it will hand over the bodies of three Israeli captives this evening under a ceasefire agreement. The group's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, confirmed in a statement that the remains will be transferred at 8 pm local time (1800GMT) after being found under the rubble.

According to Anadolu Agency, Hamas has released 20 Israeli captives alive and handed over the remains of 19 out of 28 individuals, mostly Israelis, since the ceasefire took effect on October 10. Israel, however, has contested that one of the received bodies did not match any of its listed captives.

Israel has made it clear that the commencement of negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire is contingent upon the handover of all hostage remains. Hamas has indicated that the process requires time due to the extensive destruction in Gaza.

The first phase of the agreement involves the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The plan also outlines the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without the presence of Hamas.

In the ongoing conflict, Israel has reportedly killed close to 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,000 others in its attacks on Gaza since October 2023.