Hamas has announced the transfer of another recovered body of a captive from the devastated Gaza Strip, calling on international mediators and organizations to pressure Israel into reopening border crossings and permitting humanitarian aid deliveries.
The Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military faction, stated on Friday that their fighters would hand over the remains at 11 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT), without specifying the exact location where the body was found.
According to Hamas, the remains were extracted earlier that day and identified as belonging to an “occupation prisoner,” implying the deceased was Israeli, rather than one of the hostages from other nationalities taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the International Committee of the Red Cross had collected a coffin containing the remains of an Israeli captive from Palestinian control and was transferring it to Israeli authorities. The IDF emphasized that official identification would be provided to the family before any public announcement.
“Hamas must honor the agreement and take all necessary measures to return the bodies of all ceasefire/” title=”… Takes Hold: A Powerful Look at the … War Through the Numbers | NPR”>deceased hostages,” the military added.
Hamas maintains its commitment to the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, which includes the return of bodies of captives still missing beneath Gaza’s rubble. The group insists it has handed over all the remains it could recover but requires assistance to locate others trapped under the debris caused by Israeli bombardments.
“There are still 19 bodies held within Gaza,” reported Al Jazeera’s Hamda Salhut from Amman. “Hamas is awaiting support in the form of heavy machinery and specialized teams to aid in the recovery efforts.”
Israel’s Lack of Cooperation
Alon Liel, a former Israeli ambassador, noted that the return of deceased captives is a highly sensitive issue in Israel, generating significant public pressure on the government. Many Israelis suspect Hamas is violating the ceasefire by withholding some bodies, fueling widespread frustration.
Earlier on Friday, Hamas claimed that some remains are located in tunnels or buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes, necessitating heavy equipment to clear the rubble. The group accused Israel of obstructing the process by refusing to permit the entry of bulldozers into Gaza.
Most of Gaza’s heavy machinery was destroyed during the conflict, leaving limited resources for Palestinians attempting to clear the extensive debris across the territory.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, highlighted Israel’s refusal to cooperate with countries offering assistance in the search for remains. “For instance, Turkey was prepared to send 81 experts specialized in body recovery, but Israel has denied their entry and blocked the delivery of necessary equipment,” Odeh explained.
On Friday, Hamas deployed two bulldozers to excavate pits in Hamad City, a cluster of apartment buildings in Khan Younis heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments and subjected to a prolonged military raid in March 2024, as part of efforts to locate captives’ remains.
US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Hamas, stating that Israel would be authorized to resume military operations in Gaza if the group fails to comply with the agreement and return all 28 captives’ bodies. To date, Hamas has handed over the remains of nine captives, plus a tenth body that Israel disputes as belonging to a captive.
The delivery of the tenth body coincides with Gaza’s civil defense reporting that over 10,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict remain buried under rubble, with only 280 bodies recovered so far.
Hamas continues to urge mediators to facilitate a greater influx of vital aid into Gaza, expedite the reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, and initiate reconstruction efforts. Despite the ceasefire agreement reached last week, Israel has yet to permit large-scale aid entry and maintains military operations in roughly half of Gaza, with ongoing attacks in certain areas.
