Israel announced on Monday that the Red Cross had delivered the body of another deceased hostage from Gaza to the Israeli military, as confirmed by a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office. This latest delivery brings the total number of remaining hostages’ remains in Gaza to 12, with Palestinian militant group Hamas facing challenges in locating them within the rubble left by the conflict.
The retrieval and transfer of deceased hostages’ bodies in Gaza have presented a hurdle to the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza strategy. According to an Israeli government representative, Hamas possesses knowledge of the whereabouts of the bodies.
In a move to facilitate the search efforts, Israel permitted an Egyptian technical team to collaborate with the Red Cross in locating the bodies. The team is utilizing excavator machinery and trucks to scour the area beyond the designated yellow line in Gaza, where Israeli forces had initially withdrawn as part of Trump’s plan.
Funerals have been held in Israel for the hostages whose remains were returned, marking a solemn occasion as the nation mourns the loss. Israel continues to press Hamas for the return of the remaining 19 bodies, with Hamas citing the need for heavy machinery to access them. To date, a total of nine hostages’ bodies have been repatriated.
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