Massive destruction across Gaza has made it nearly impossible for Hamas to recover the bodies of remaining Israeli hostages buried under rubble. On Saturday, an Egyptian convoy carrying bulldozers and excavators entered Gaza to assist search operations.
Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, Israel agreed to return 15 Palestinian prisoners’ bodies for every Israeli hostage’s body. So far, Israel has handed over 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has returned 18 Israeli remains.
Earlier this month, Hamas released all 20 surviving Israeli hostages. U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “watching very closely” to ensure all bodies are recovered within 48 hours. “Some are hard to reach, but others can be returned now,” he wrote on Truth Social.
Hamas Expands Search as Rubble Hampers Recovery
Hamas has struggled to recover bodies over the past five days due to the scale of destruction. A senior Hamas negotiator told Egyptian media that many remains lie deep beneath collapsed buildings, requiring specialized recovery equipment.
On Sunday, Hamas extended its search into new parts of Gaza to locate the remaining 13 bodies, according to Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s leader in the enclave. Last week, a Turkish convoy began clearing debris in Khan Younis, where officials estimate 800 tonnes of rubble have piled up from Israeli airstrikes.
Despite international assistance, recovery teams continue to face overwhelming logistical challenges amid the devastation.
Israel Launches Another Strike on Nuseirat Camp
Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night, wounding at least four people, according to Awda Hospital officials. The attack marked Israel’s second strike on the camp within a week.
The Israeli military said it targeted Islamic Jihad militants allegedly planning attacks on Israeli troops, though the group denied the accusation. Hamas condemned the strike as a “clear breach” of the ceasefire and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to undermine the truce.
Netanyahu defended the operation during his Cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying, “We thwart threats as they form, before they are executed, as we did yesterday in Gaza.”
