Massive destruction across the Gaza Strip has made it nearly impossible for Hamas to locate the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages. Many victims are believed to lie buried under collapsed buildings.
On Saturday, the first Egyptian convoy carrying excavators and bulldozers entered Gaza to support recovery efforts. The operation forms part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, which requires Israel to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body recovered.
So far, Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has handed over 18 Israeli bodies. Earlier this month, Hamas also released all 20 living Israeli hostages.
U.S. Presses for Swift Recovery Under Ceasefire Deal
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “watching very closely” to ensure that all bodies are returned within 48 hours. “Some of the bodies are difficult to reach, but others can be returned now,” he wrote on Truth Social. “For some reason, they are not.”
Hamas has struggled to release additional remains over the past five days. Its chief negotiator told Egyptian media that heavy destruction has buried many bodies deep underground. He said special machinery is necessary to recover them.
On Sunday, Hamas expanded its search to new areas in the Gaza Strip in an effort to find the remaining 13 Israeli bodies, according to Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s top official in Gaza.
Last week, a Turkish convoy entered Gaza to help clear debris in Khan Younis. City officials estimated that Israeli airstrikes have created roughly 800 tonnes of rubble across the city.
Israel Strikes Refugee Camp Amid Ceasefire Tension
Israeli forces launched an airstrike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night, injuring at least four people, according to Awda Hospital. The attack marked Israel’s second strike on the camp within a week.
The Israeli military said it targeted Islamic Jihad militants planning an attack on Israeli troops. The group denied any such plans. Hamas condemned the airstrike as a violation of the ceasefire and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to derail the agreement.
Netanyahu defended the operation during his weekly Cabinet meeting, saying, “We thwart dangers before they are carried out, as we did yesterday in the Gaza Strip.”
