UPDATE 2 - Hamas hands over bodies of 4 Israeli captives under Gaza ceasefire deal

ADDS DETAILS; CHANGES LEDE, HEADINE, DECK

By Zein Khalil and Rania Abu Shamala

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Palestinian resistance group Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli captives late Wednesday under a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel’s Channel 7 reported that the Red Cross handed over the bodies to the Israeli army at the Karem Abu Salem crossing, marking the final batch of the prisoner exchange deal under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Earlier, Hamas handed over the bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported late Wednesday, citing an unnamed Israeli security source.

Israel's Army Radio later confirmed that "the four deceased hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross and are on their way to Israeli military forces in Gaza."

An Israeli forensic team arrived at the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza in preparation for receiving the bodies and conducting a preliminary identification.

Israel’s public broadcasting authority reported that Chen Kugel, director of the Israeli Forensic Institute, was present at the Kerem Shalom crossing to receive the bodies.

"Members of the forensic institute and the police forensic evidence team are preparing to assist in the preliminary identification of the bodies as they are transferred to the Kerem Shalom crossing,” it added.