Massive destruction across Gaza has made it nearly impossible for Hamas to recover the remaining Israeli hostages’ bodies buried under rubble. On Saturday, an Egyptian convoy carrying bulldozers and excavators entered Gaza to support recovery operations.
The mission follows a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal in which Israel agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli hostage’s remains. So far, Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has handed over 18 Israeli ones.
Earlier this month, Hamas released all 20 surviving Israeli hostages. U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “watching very closely” to ensure the remaining bodies are returned within 48 hours. “Some bodies are hard to reach, but others could be recovered now,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas Expands Recovery Efforts Amid Rubble and Ruin
Hamas has failed to deliver more bodies in the past five days due to Gaza’s extensive destruction. A top negotiator said most corpses lie deep beneath collapsed buildings and require heavy machinery for retrieval.
On Sunday, Hamas expanded its search to new areas of the Gaza Strip to locate the remaining 13 bodies, according to Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s leader in Gaza. Last week, Turkish crews began clearing debris in Khan Younis, where officials estimate more than 800 tonnes of rubble from Israeli strikes still block city streets.
Despite the challenges, recovery operations continue under difficult conditions as both sides try to uphold the ceasefire terms amid persistent tension.
Israel Launches Another Strike on Gaza Refugee Camp
Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night, injuring at least four people, Awda Hospital officials confirmed. The attack marked Israel’s second strike on the camp in one week.
The Israeli military said it targeted Islamic Jihad members planning attacks on Israeli troops, while the group denied the accusation. Hamas condemned the airstrike as a “clear violation” of the ceasefire and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately undermining the truce.
Netanyahu defended the operation, saying, “We will stop threats as they form, before they can strike,” during his weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
