Israeli forces captured a terrorist of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in Gaza as part of efforts to recover the body of the last slain Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported.

Citing Palestinian sources, the report claimed that "Israel is carrying out covert activity inside the Gaza Strip as part of the search for Gvili."

"The IDF believes that the captured operative has a direct connection to the holding of Gvili's body," the report added.

PIJ sources told the newspaper that "the body was indeed in the possession of their operatives, and after a short period they handed it over to operatives and field commanders in Hamas' military wing in Gaza City."

However, Hamas claims that "everyone who oversaw the holding of the body and everyone who knew its location was eliminated in separate operations."

This allisreal.com report was republished with permission from All Israel News.