Israel announced on Monday that another deceased hostage from Gaza had been transferred by the Red Cross to the Israeli military, as reported by the Israeli prime minister’s office. The confirmation of the identity of this individual would indicate that there are still 12 hostages’ remains in Gaza. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has highlighted challenges in locating these bodies within the debris left by the conflict.
The retrieval and transfer of deceased hostages’ bodies in Gaza have posed difficulties for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza initiative. A spokesperson for the Israeli government mentioned that the militant group is aware of the locations of the bodies.
To aid in the search for the bodies, Israel permitted an Egyptian technical team to collaborate with the Red Cross. This team will utilize excavators and trucks to search beyond the designated yellow line in Gaza, where Israeli troops initially withdrew under Trump’s plan.
Funerals for the hostages whose remains were returned were held in Israel, marking a poignant day as more bodies were repatriated from Gaza. Israel is urging Hamas to return the bodies of the remaining 19 hostages, citing the need for heavy machinery to access them. So far, nine hostage bodies have been handed over.