Egypt along with International Committee of the Red Cross Participate in Search for Captive Bodies in Gaza

Egyptian machinery enters into the Gaza territory
International equipment crosses into the Gaza Strip

Teams from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been granted permission to search for the bodies of deceased hostages captured during the 7 October attacks, Israeli authorities have verified.

The authorities in Israel announced that the teams have been allowed to operate beyond the so-called "demarcation line" in the region under the control of military personnel in the Gaza territory.

Hamas has handed over fifteen out of 28 deceased Israeli hostages under the first phase of a American-mediated truce agreement, which requires it to hand over all hostage bodies. The organization said it is now coordinating with Egyptian authorities.

Donald Trump has cautions the organization to start return the remains "promptly, or the other countries participating in this great peace will take action".

An Israeli spokesperson said the Egyptian team has been permitted to work with the Red Cross to find the bodies, and would use digging equipment and vehicles for the search beyond the "demarcation line".

The "demarcation line" indicates the boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza that Israeli forces withdrew to, as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire deal.

Previously, Israel has not authorized the entry of such teams.

Egypt, along with Qatari officials and Turkey, is a principal participant of the mediated by Trump Gaza peace plan, which was ratified in the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh in recent weeks.

The development will be welcomed by relatives, desperate to give them a dignified funeral.

Hostage situation in Gaza

The International Committee of the Red Cross has already been deeply engaged in the return of hostages.

The organization does not hand over its detainees - living or deceased - directly to the IDF, but instead to the Red Cross, which in turn accompanies them through the territory and hands them on to the IDF.

But the entry of Egyptian excavation teams inside the Gaza Strip is a recent development.

After more than 24 months of heavy shelling by Israel, the UN calculates that as much as eighty-four percent of the territory has been reduced to rubble.

The group claims it is doing its best to recover remains of captives, but it encounters challenges locating them under debris of structures destroyed by the IDF in the region.

It is now working in coordination with the Egyptian authorities.

On the weekend, an official representative said that Hamas was aware of where the remains were.

"If Hamas put in greater work, they would be able to recover the remains of our captives," the spokesperson said.

The former president shared on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that measures would be implemented if the bodies of the deceased hostages were not handed back quickly.

"Some of the bodies are difficult to access, but the rest they can hand over now and, for unknown reasons, they are not. Perhaps it has to do with their demilitarization," he remarked.

He added: "We will observe what they do over the coming two days. I am monitoring the situation with great attention."

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On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the country would decide which foreign forces it would allow as part of a planned multinational contingent in Gaza to help secure the ceasefire under Trump's plan.

"We are in command of our security, and we have also stated explicitly regarding foreign troops that Israel will decide which forces are not acceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will proceed," he said speaking at the beginning of a government session.

On the end of the week, the American diplomat indicated "numerous nations" had offered to be involved in the contingent - but noted Israel would have to be satisfied with those taking part.

This appeared to be a reference to the Turkish government, amid reports Israel had vetoed the country's involvement.

It remained unclear, however, how this contingent could be stationed without an agreement with the organization.

The Israeli military launched a armed operation in the territory in following the 7 October 2023 attack, in which militants associated with the group killed about twelve hundred individuals and took 251 additional persons as captives.

At least sixty-eight thousand five hundred nineteen have been lost their lives in military actions in the region from that time, according to the territory's health authorities under the group's control.

Christina Delgado
Christina Delgado

A tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for exploring cutting-edge innovations and sharing practical advice for everyday users.