Israel received unspecified “findings” potentially belonging to a hostage, handed over by Hamas through the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday, as Israel awaits the return of the bodies of the final two captives.

It is unclear as of yet who the findings belong to. A Hamas official told Reuters earlier that the terror group was handing over the body of one of the two remaining hostages to the Red Cross; however, the terror group did not officially announce that it intended to return any hostages on Tuesday, as it has previously done when it returned remains.

A senior Red Cross official told The Times of Israel that the findings it handed over to the IDF included “small remains, pieces” of a body.

After receiving them from the Red Cross, the Israel Defense Forces inspected the remains and held a short ceremony led by a military rabbi. The police then escorted them to the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv for identification.

The Health Ministry confirmed the remains has arrived in Abu Kabir and said they will undergo identification and an investigation into the cause and circumstances of death.

Palestinian media said they were found in Gaza’s northern town of Beit Lahiya.

Two bodies of deceased hostages are held in the Gaza Strip, belonging to Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.........

© The Times of Israel