Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli media reported Saturday evening that an Egyptian team is preparing to enter the Gaza Strip to assist in locating and recovering the bodies of Israeli hostages. The move, reportedly coordinated through the Red Cross, comes after weeks of tension surrounding the implementation of a prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this month.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, Tel Aviv agreed to allow the Egyptian mission into Gaza under U.S. pressure, marking a reversal of its earlier stance that barred foreign teams from participating in recovery efforts. Israeli officials had previously insisted that Hamas was capable of retrieving and handing over the remains of Israeli captives without external assistance.
Private Channel 12 reported that the Egyptian crews, equipped with specialized tools and machinery, were expected to enter Gaza on Saturday night. Cairo has not issued an official statement confirming or denying the reports.
Since the ceasefire and exchange deal took effect on October 10, Hamas has handed over the bodies of 16 captives out of 28 confirmed dead, most of them Israeli. The movement has repeatedly stated that it seeks to “close the file” completely but needs additional time, equipment, and heavy machinery to recover the remaining bodies buried under extensive rubble left by the war.
Israeli media outlets quoted unnamed security officials claiming that Hamas could deliver at least ten of the thirteen bodies still missing without outside help. However, Washington has reportedly discouraged Israel from imposing punitive measures on Hamas for delays in the recovery process, urging patience to preserve the fragile calm.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American envoys have continued shuttling between regional capitals to maintain stability and ensure the deal’s implementation. When asked earlier this week whether the United States would set a deadline for Hamas to return the remaining bodies, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said, “Our focus is on ensuring their return and proper burial, but the situation is complex and cannot be resolved overnight. Some are buried beneath tons of debris, others’ locations are still unknown. This will take time.”
The current ceasefire follows two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas that began on October 8, 2023, when Israel launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza with American backing. The war left at least 68,519 Palestinians dead and more than 170,000 wounded, most of them women and children, while 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure was destroyed.
Under the agreement, brokered with American mediation and based on a framework proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas released 20 Israeli captives alive and 16 bodies, while Israel freed 1,968 Palestinian prisoners. The Egyptian team’s participation in the ongoing recovery efforts is seen as a humanitarian gesture and a sign of Cairo’s continued role as a mediator seeking to preserve peace and prevent the collapse of the fragile truce.
