GAZA CITY — Excavation crews searching for the remains of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas returned empty-handed on Sunday after a full day of digging through rubble on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City.
Egypt has deployed excavation experts and equipment to assist in the recovery mission, while members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) accompanied the teams. Progress, however, has been slow.
Ceasefire Terms
Hamas has so far returned the remains of 25 hostages, but three are still unaccounted for. Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, Israel agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body handed over.
Accusations and Challenges
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of stalling, while Hamas insists the destruction caused by Israel’s two-year offensive against Gaza has made locating remains extremely difficult.
The search continues amid heightened tensions, with the fate of the last three hostages symbolizing the fragile state of the ceasefire agreement.