Search operations to recover the bodies of Israeli hostages as part of the ceasefire and captive exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel are conducted by members of Hamas`s military wing al-Qassam Brigades, and officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Zeytun Neighborhood of the Gaza Strip on November 12, 2025. (Photo: AFP)

The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has announced that its fighters have successfully recovered the body of an Israeli captive during search operations in areas of central Gaza previously occupied by Israeli forces.

This marks another significant development in the painstaking efforts by Palestinian resistance groups to locate the remains of captives killed during Israel`s months-long genocide in the Gaza Strip.

If the identity is confirmed by relevant authorities, only two bodies of Israeli captives are believed to remain unrecovered inside the Gaza Strip.

Since the ceasefire took effect, Palestinian resistance factions have conducted search operations across vast areas of destruction.

These efforts have led to the recovery of several bodies who were confirmed to have been killed either by Israeli airstrikes or during ground operations targeting resistance positions where captives were being held.

Palestinian factions have handed over the remains through exchanges coordinated by Qatar and Egypt. In return, Israel has released a number of Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of those killed by the regime.

Palestinian health authorities estimate that more than 10,000 bodies, including entire families, still lie beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings across the Gaza Strip.

Recovery efforts have been severely hampered by Israel`s continued blockade on the entry of heavy machinery, excavators, and cranes required for large-scale debris removal, despite explicit provisions in the ceasefire agreement that obligated Israel to facilitate such equipment.

Furthermore, Israeli authorities have blocked the entry of DNA testing kits and laboratory equipment essential for identifying thousands of fragmented or decomposed remains, a policy widely condemned by Palestinian officials and international human rights organizations.

The recovery of the latest Israeli captive`s body comes as negotiations continue over the full implementation of the ceasefire`s second phase, which includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, and the acceleration of reconstruction and body-recovery operations.