Hamas Returns Israeli Body in Khan Younis Amid Escalating West Bank Tensions
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced the return of the body of an Israeli national on Thursday evening in the Mouraj area, located north of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. This handover is part of the "Flood of Al-Aqsa" prisoner exchange agreement.
According to a tweet from Al-Qassam, reported by the Safa news agency:
"The Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Qassam Brigades will return the body of one of the occupation's prisoners, discovered today at 8 PM local time in Gaza."
This handover is part of ongoing efforts to fulfill a ceasefire agreement, with Al-Qassam continuing to return bodies previously held by Israel.
In related developments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that recent violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank threatens the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. He stated, "There are concerns that incidents in the West Bank may escalate and spiral out of control, jeopardizing U.S. efforts to maintain peace in Gaza."
Despite these concerns, Rubio emphasized that the United States is actively working to prevent further escalation.
Recently, the West Bank has seen a surge in violence, with groups of settlers attacking two Palestinian villages, setting fire to homes and vehicles, and clashing with Israeli military forces that responded to the situation.
The Israeli government has confirmed that there is currently no agreement regarding the status of Hamas members in Rafah. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the attacks as "shocking and dangerous," urging for decisive measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir stated that the military will respond firmly to any acts of violence.
In a separate incident, the Associated Press reported that a fire was set in a mosque in one of the Palestinian villages, with graffiti on the walls criticizing the Israeli authorities' response to the recent violence.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has indicated that October marked the highest number of attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank since monitoring began in 2006.
