Hamas steps up search for hostages’ bodies as Egypt joins effort in Gaza VIDEO

Hamas has intensified efforts to locate the bodies of hostages in Gaza, opening new search areas as an Egyptian team and heavy equipment joined the operation on October 25. 

Bulldozers and an excavator were deployed to assist in recovering the remains, officials said, amid ongoing international mediation under a fragile US-brokered ceasefire, Caliber.Az reports, citing Arab media.

معدات #مصرية ثقيلة تدخل #قطاع_غزة من معبر #كرم_أبوسالم ومصادر إسرائيلية تقول إن حكومة #نتنياهو سمحت بدخولها للمساعدة في البحث عن جثث #أسرى_الاحتلال pic.twitter.com/WwUJ2dvQmg

— الجزيرة مصر (@AJA_Egypt) October 27, 2025

The Palestinian group is searching for 13 bodies of Israeli hostages that remain in the enclave. Under the ceasefire agreement reached on October 10, Hamas is expected to return all remains, with Israel agreeing to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage body returned. 

So far, Israel has handed over 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has returned 18 hostage bodies, although none have been released in the past five days.

Hamas chief in Gaza, Khalil Al-Hayya, acknowledged the challenges caused by widespread destruction, which has buried some bodies deep underground, complicating recovery efforts. US President Donald Trump, monitoring the situation closely, urged Hamas to return more remains within 48 hours, warning that some bodies could be returned immediately.

Meanwhile, tensions persist as Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on October 25, wounding four people, according to local health authorities. The Israeli military said the strike targeted militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group allegedly planning attacks on Israeli troops, a claim denied by the group. Hamas condemned the strike as a violation of the ceasefire, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining US mediation efforts.

The attack comes amid heightened coordination by international mediators. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who visited Israel earlier this week, said information sharing between Israel, the US, and other parties helped identify potential threats. Around 200 US troops are currently assisting the Israeli military and international delegations at a new coordination centre aimed at stabilising Gaza and supporting reconstruction efforts.

By Aghakazim Guliyev