Hamas Returns Body of Israeli in Jan Yunis Amid Ongoing Tensions
Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in conjunction with the Al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad, reported the return of the body of an Israeli "prisoner" this Thursday afternoon in the Moraj area, north of Jan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. This action is part of the "Al-Aqsa Storm" agreement for prisoner exchanges.
Al-Qassam stated in a tweet via the Sapa agency:
"The Al-Quds Brigades and our brigades will hand over the body of one of the occupation's prisoners, found today at 8 PM Gaza time."
This development occurs as Al-Qassam continues to return bodies of those held by Israel as part of the ceasefire agreement.
In related news, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that recent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank pose a threat to the stability of the ceasefire in Gaza. Rubio told reporters, "There are concerns that events in the West Bank could escalate and spiral out of control, potentially impacting Washington's efforts to maintain calm in Gaza." He added that the U.S. is working to prevent any escalation despite these concerns.
The West Bank has recently witnessed a series of attacks by settler groups against two Palestinian villages, where homes and vehicles were set ablaze before clashes erupted with Israeli military forces that responded to the scene.
The Israeli government confirmed that there is no agreement regarding the fate of Hamas operatives in Rafah, while Israeli President Isaac Herzog described these attacks as "shocking and dangerous," calling for decisive action to deter such aggression. The Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, assured that the military would respond firmly to any similar acts of violence.
In a separate incident, the Associated Press reported a fire at a mosque in one of the Palestinian villages, alongside graffiti on the walls criticizing Israeli authorities' stance on recent attacks.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that October has seen the highest rate of attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank since monitoring began in 2006.
