Egypt, Red Cross begin search for Israeli hostage bodies in Gaza under US-brokered ceasefire

Trump says he is “watching very closely” and that some bodies could be returned immediately.

Gaza - Israeli officials said the Egyptian team is working with the ICRC to locate bodies and are using excavators and trucks for the search

Israeli officials said the Egyptian team is working with the ICRC to locate bodies and are using excavators and trucks for the search (Source: AP)

Teams from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have begun searching for bodies of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Israeli authorities confirmed to BBC. The teams have been permitted to operate beyond the “yellow line,” the boundary marking the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)-controlled area of Gaza under the first stage of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.

Israeli officials said the Egyptian team is working with the ICRC to locate bodies and are using excavators and trucks for the search, BBC reported. Hamas members have also been allowed to enter the IDF-controlled area to assist in the effort. Until now, Israel had not approved the entry of such teams.

Watching closely, says Trump

US President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire deal signed in Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month, warned Hamas to return the bodies “quickly”. In a Truth Social post, he said that some bodies could be returned immediately and that he would “watch very closely” what happens in the next 48 hours.

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Under the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10, Hamas must return the remains of all Israeli hostages. In exchange, Israel will return 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli body. Hamas has so far handed over 15 of 28 deceased Israeli hostages; Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies, many of them unidentified. Egypt, along with Qatar and Turkey, is a key signatory of the Trump-brokered Gaza peace plan.

Hamas said it has expanded the search to new areas in Gaza and is coordinating with Egyptian authorities. The group said locating bodies is difficult because of widespread destruction.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 68,500 Palestinians have been killed in the two years since October 7, 2023.

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