Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Hamas sources in Gaza confirmed on Sunday that three bodies belonging to Israeli hostages have been recovered in the southern part of the enclave, including that of a senior Israeli military officer.
According to sources, the remains of Colonel Asaf Hamami, commander of the Israeli army’s southern brigade in the Gaza Division, were found east of Khan Younis. The reports added that Israeli forces are preparing to receive the bodies later today, following coordination efforts between the parties involved.
The discovery marks the latest development in the ongoing recovery operations tied to the hostage and ceasefire agreements between Hamas and Israel, which have remained a focal point of mediation efforts since the truce took effect on October 10.
Dispute Over Identity of Recovered Bodies
The Israeli military had announced on Saturday that the three bodies it received from Hamas last Friday did not belong to any of the hostages abducted during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
In a statement, Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said it had offered to hand over three unidentified remains for examination but claimed Israel initially refused to receive them, insisting on taking the entire bodies for verification. Al-Qassam added that it proceeded with the handover to “counter Israeli accusations” that Hamas was obstructing the implementation of the Gaza agreement.
The group also stated that its field teams were ready “to extract the remains of the hostages located inside the Yellow Line area, simultaneously and in all relevant locations, as part of efforts to conclude this file.”
Political and Humanitarian Implications
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem accused Israel of attempting to delay the start of the second phase of the Gaza deal, asserting the movement’s readiness to continue search operations for missing bodies in areas under the Yellow Line if appropriate equipment and conditions were provided.
The Yellow Line, which forms part of the withdrawal zones established under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan proposed by former President Donald Trump, delineates the buffer area separating Israeli military positions in eastern Gaza from Palestinian-controlled zones in the west.
Ongoing Exchange Under the Ceasefire Framework
Since the ceasefire came into force, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 out of 28 hostages who were to be repatriated in the initial stage of the agreement. Among them were 15 Israelis, one Thai national, and one Nepali. The three bodies found last Friday were the latest to be recovered but are still undergoing identification.
According to Israeli sources, 10 bodies of hostages taken during the October 7 attack remain inside the Gaza Strip, along with the remains of an Israeli soldier killed during the 2014 conflict.
Under the terms of the current truce arrangement, Israel is to return the bodies of 15 Palestinians killed during the war for every Israeli body handed over by Hamas an exchange that could ultimately involve the return of up to 225 Palestinian bodies.
A Fragile Process Amid Tense Ceasefire
The recovery and exchange of remains have become a delicate and politically charged process, closely tied to the broader ceasefire implementation. Each transfer is not only a humanitarian gesture but also a test of both sides’ willingness to adhere to the conditions of the agreement.
The latest discovery, including that of Colonel Hamami, underscores the ongoing complexity of the post-war landscape in Gaza where the humanitarian, political, and military dimensions of the conflict remain deeply intertwined.
