🔗 Share this article

Teams from Egyptian authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been granted permission to locate the bodies of deceased hostages captured during the October 7th incidents, officials in Israel have confirmed.

The authorities in Israel announced that the teams have been permitted to operate beyond the so-called "demarcation line" in the area controlled by military personnel in Gaza.

Hamas has transferred 15 out of 28 hostages who lost their lives under the initial stage of a American-mediated ceasefire deal, which mandates it to transfer all hostage bodies. The organization said it is now working together with officials in Egypt.

The former US president has cautions the organization to start return the remains "promptly, or the other countries participating in this significant peace will take action".

An Israeli spokesperson indicated the Egyptian team has been authorized to work with the ICRC to locate the bodies, and would use excavator machines and trucks for the search beyond the "demarcation line".

The "yellow line" marks the border running along the northern, southern and east of the Gaza territory that Israel pulled back to, as part of the first stage of the truce agreement.

Previously, Israeli authorities has not authorized the access of such teams.

The Egyptian government, along with Qatar and Turkish authorities, is a principal participant of the mediated by Trump Gaza peace plan, which was ratified in the coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month.

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

The ICRC has already been deeply engaged in the repatriation of hostages.

Hamas does not transfer its detainees - living or deceased - directly to the Israel Defense Forces, but rather to the Red Cross, which in turn accompanies them through Gaza and transfers them to the IDF.

But the entry of digging crews from Egypt inside the Gaza territory is a recent development.

After more than two years of intense bombardment by Israel, the UN estimates that as much as 84% of the territory has been destroyed completely.

The group claims it is doing its best to retrieve hostage bodies, but it faces difficulty finding them under rubble of buildings bombed out by the Israeli military in the region.

It is now coordinating with the officials in Egypt.

On the weekend, an Israeli government spokesperson said that Hamas was aware of where the remains were.

"If Hamas put in greater work, they would be able to recover the bodies of our hostages," the representative said.

The former president shared on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that measures would be taken if the remains of the hostages who died were not returned quickly.

"Some of the bodies are difficult to access, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not. Perhaps it has do with their demilitarization," he said.

Trump added: "Let's see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am monitoring the situation with great attention."

• Gaza children losing their lives as they await Israel to enable relocations
• The US Secretary of State says lots of nations prepared to participate in the region's security force
• Recent photographs show demarcation zone further into the territory than expected

On the weekend, the Israeli leader said the country would decide which international troops it would allow as part of a proposed multinational contingent in the region to help secure the truce under the former president's initiative.

"We are in control of our safety, and we have also stated explicitly regarding international forces that Israel will decide which units are unacceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will continue to operate," he declared talking at the start of a government session.

On Friday, the American diplomat indicated "numerous countries" had offered to be part of the force - but added Israel would have to be satisfied with participants.

This appeared to be a allusion to Turkey, amid reports Israeli officials had vetoed the country's involvement.

It remained unclear, however, how such a force could be stationed without an agreement with the organization.

Israel initiated a armed operation in Gaza in following the 7 October 2023 attack, in which Hamas-led gunmen killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others as hostages.

At least 68,519 have been killed in military actions in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health authorities under the group's control.