Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In the latest development of the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced that they have handed over all the living hostages in their custody, as well as the bodies of deceased Israeli which they were able to locate, recently two this evening. The group noted that retrieving the remaining bodies poses significant logistical and technical challenges.
In a statement released on their official Telegram channel on Wednesday evening, the Al-Qassam Brigades affirmed that they have “fulfilled what was agreed upon” and delivered “all living prisoners, and the bodies we were able to reach.” They clarified, however, that “what remains of the bodies requires major efforts and specialized equipment to search for and recover,” adding that they are continuing to exert significant effort to close this sensitive file.
Earlier the same day, the brigades confirmed the delivery of two bodies of Israeli at 10 p.m. as part of the ongoing prisoner swap, dubbed the “Al-Aqsa Flood” deal. Preparations reportedly continue for the handover of additional remains overnight.
The process of returning bodies began earlier this week, when Hamas handed over the remains of three Israeli hostages: Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi, and Eitan Levy. The handovers were conducted through coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
In a separate incident, the Israeli army also received another body via the Red Cross. However, forensic analysis conducted by Israel’s national medical examiner determined that the remains did not belong to any of the known Israeli captives. Media reports later indicated that the body was believed to belong to a local Palestinian who had been collaborating with Israeli forces and was killed during fighting in northern Gaza.
According to Israeli estimates, 21 more bodies are still believed to be somewhere in Gaza. The retrieval and identification of these remains remain a complex task amid the devastation caused by ongoing hostilities.
Israel had previously acknowledged the difficulties facing Hamas in recovering all remains within the limited 72-hour window outlined in the agreement. From the outset, Israeli officials had cautioned that the process could stretch over several weeks or longer and that the complete recovery of all bodies may ultimately prove impossible due to the scale of destruction and the inaccessibility of some areas within the Gaza Strip.
As efforts continue on both sides, the issue of hostages remains one of the most emotionally and politically charged elements of the war and the broader negotiation efforts surrounding the humanitarian truce.
