Hamas: Hostages to be handed over at three locations in Gaza Strip

The Palestinian militant group Hamas plans to hand over the living hostages abducted from Israel two years ago to staff from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at three different locations in the Gaza Strip, Hamas sources have told dpa.

The handover is scheduled for Monday morning, the Hamas sources said, although Israeli media reports suggest it could happen even sooner.

As part of the agreement between Israel and Hamas, as many deceased hostages as possible are also to be handed over. A 72-hour deadline for the handover expires at midday on Monday.

Israeli officials say that of the 48 hostages still in Gaza, 20 are believed to be alive.

There are concerns that Hamas may not be able to hand over all the remains, as some bodies may not be able to be recovered from the rubble of Gaza after massive bombardment from the Israeli military.