Massive destruction across Gaza has made it nearly impossible for Hamas to recover the bodies of remaining Israeli hostages buried beneath the rubble. On Saturday, the first Egyptian convoy carrying bulldozers and excavators entered Gaza to assist with the search.
The US-brokered ceasefire deal requires Israel to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body recovered. So far, Israel has handed over 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has returned 18 Israeli remains. Earlier this month, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages.
US President Donald Trump said he is “watching very closely” to ensure the bodies are returned within 48 hours. “Some bodies are hard to reach, but others can be recovered now—and they are not,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Search Operations Expand as Rubble Hampers Recovery
Hamas has failed to release any bodies in the past five days as severe structural damage continues to obstruct recovery. The group’s top negotiator told Egyptian media that many bodies lie deep underground, requiring specialized machinery for extraction.
On Sunday, Hamas expanded its search efforts to new areas of Gaza to locate the remaining 13 Israeli bodies, according to Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s leader in Gaza. Last week, a Turkish convoy entered the enclave to clear rubble in Khan Younis, where authorities estimate around 800 tonnes of debris remain after extensive Israeli airstrikes.
The humanitarian convoys aim to clear paths for rescue and recovery teams, but the sheer scale of destruction continues to slow progress.
Israel Launches Second Airstrike on Refugee Camp
On Saturday night, Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, wounding at least four people, Awda Hospital officials confirmed. It marked the second attack on the camp within a week.
The Israeli military said it targeted Islamic Jihad militants preparing to attack Israeli troops. The group denied the claim, insisting it was not planning any assault. Hamas condemned the airstrike as a direct breach of the ceasefire and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining peace efforts.
Netanyahu defended the strike during his weekly Cabinet meeting, saying, “We act to prevent threats before they materialize, as we did yesterday in Gaza.” The renewed violence raised fresh concerns about the fragile ceasefire and the slow progress in recovering the remaining hostage bodies.
