The Red Cross and Egyptian recovery teams have been granted permission to enter areas beyond the “yellow line” marking Israel’s military pullback in the Gaza Strip to search for the bodies of deceased hostages, an Israeli government spokesperson confirmed on Sunday.
The Egyptian team, equipped with an excavator and bulldozers, began operations after receiving clearance, in coordination with international mediators working to ensure that the fragile ceasefire remains intact. Their mission focuses on locating and retrieving the bodies of hostages believed to be buried in recently accessible zones.
Read More: Egyptian convoy enters Gaza to help locate remains of Israeli hostages
According to Israeli officials, the remains of 13 Israeli hostages are still unaccounted for in Gaza. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said on Sunday that the group has expanded its search to new areas as part of ongoing recovery efforts linked to the ceasefire agreement.
Under the terms of the deal, Israel has agreed to return 15 bodies of Palestinians for every body of a hostage. So far, Israel has transferred the remains of 195 Palestinians, while Hamas has handed over the bodies of 15 hostages. The recovery operations are being closely monitored by international mediators as both sides attempt to maintain calm amid a fragile truce.
Read More: Israel Allows Egyptian Team to Enter Gaza for Hostage Search