Widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip has made it nearly impossible for Hamas to locate and recover Israeli hostages’ bodies buried under rubble. On Saturday, the first Egyptian convoy entered Gaza carrying bulldozers and excavators to assist in recovery efforts.
Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Israel agreed to return 15 bodies of Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli hostage’s body. So far, Israel has returned 195 Palestinian corpses, while Hamas has handed over 18 Israeli bodies. Earlier this month, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “watching closely” to ensure all bodies are returned within 48 hours. “Some bodies are hard to reach, but others can be returned now—and they’re not,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas Expands Search as Rubble Hampers Recovery Efforts
Hamas admitted it cannot recover bodies quickly due to the massive destruction. Many corpses remain buried deep underground, requiring heavy machinery to access. Hamas’ top negotiator told Egyptian media that search teams need specialized tools to continue operations.
On Sunday, Hamas expanded its search to new zones in Gaza to locate the remaining 13 Israeli hostages’ bodies, according to Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya. Last week, a Turkish convoy began clearing debris from Khan Younis, removing roughly 800 tonnes of rubble created by Israeli airstrikes.
The overwhelming scale of destruction has slowed every stage of recovery, forcing foreign aid teams and local workers to coordinate under dangerous conditions.
Israeli Forces Strike Refugee Camp Despite Ceasefire
Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night, injuring at least four people, Awda Hospital officials reported. It marked Israel’s second attack on the camp within a week.
The Israeli military claimed it targeted Islamic Jihad operatives allegedly planning assaults on Israeli troops. The group denied any planned attack. Hamas condemned the airstrike as a violation of the ceasefire and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to sabotage the truce.
Netanyahu defended the action, saying, “We act to prevent threats before they occur, as we did yesterday in Gaza,” during his weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday.
