Egypt and Red Cross Participate in Effort for Captive Bodies in Gaza

International equipment enters into the Gaza Strip
Egyptian machinery enters into the Gaza Strip

Teams from Egyptian authorities and the ICRC have been granted permission to locate the bodies of hostages who perished captured during the October 7th incidents, Israeli authorities have confirmed.

The authorities in Israel stated that the teams have been allowed to operate past the so-called "demarcation line" in the region under the control of Israeli forces in Gaza.

The group has transferred 15 out of 28 hostages who lost their lives under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal, which requires it to transfer all hostage bodies. The organization said it is now working together with Egyptian authorities.

Donald Trump has cautions Hamas to start return the remains "quickly, or the other countries participating in this significant peace will take action".

An official representative said the Egyptian team has been permitted to collaborate with the Red Cross to find the bodies, and would use digging equipment and vehicles for the search past the "yellow line".

The "yellow line" marks the border running along the north, south and eastern of the Gaza territory that Israeli forces pulled back to, as part of the initial phase of the ceasefire deal.

Until now, Israel has not approved the access of these crews.

The Egyptian government, along with Qatar and Turkey, is a key signatory of the Trump-brokered Gaza peace plan, which was signed in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in recent weeks.

The news will be welcomed by relatives, eager to provide a proper burial.

Captive situation in the region

The International Committee of the Red Cross has already been deeply engaged in the repatriation of captives.

The organization does not hand over its captives - living or deceased - straight to the Israel Defense Forces, but instead to the Red Cross, which in turn accompanies them through the territory and transfers them to the IDF.

But the arrival of digging crews from Egypt inside the Gaza Strip is new.

After more than 24 months of heavy shelling by Israel, the United Nations calculates that as much as eighty-four percent of the area has been reduced to rubble.

The group claims it is doing its best to retrieve remains of captives, but it encounters challenges finding them under rubble of buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in the region.

It is now working in coordination with the Egyptian authorities.

On Sunday, an Israeli government spokesperson said that Hamas knew where the bodies were.

"If the group put in greater work, they would be able to recover the bodies of our captives," the spokesperson commented.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that measures would be implemented if the remains of the deceased hostages were not returned promptly.

"Some of the bodies are difficult to access, but the rest they can return now and, for unknown reasons, they are not. Maybe it has do with their demilitarization," he said.

Trump added: "Let's see what they accomplish over the next 48 hours. I am watching this with great attention."

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On the weekend, the Israeli leader said Israel would determine which international troops it would permit as part of a planned international force in Gaza to help maintain the ceasefire under the former president's initiative.

"We are in command of our security, and we have also made it clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which units are not acceptable to us, and this is how we operate and will proceed," he said talking at the beginning of a government session.

On the end of the week, the American diplomat said "a lot of nations" had volunteered to be part of the force - but added Israel would have to be satisfied with those taking part.

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

It remained unclear, however, how this contingent could be deployed without an understanding with Hamas.

Israel initiated a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack, in which militants associated with the group killed about 1,200 individuals and took two hundred fifty-one others as hostages.

At least sixty-eight thousand five hundred nineteen have been lost their lives in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Kayla Glenn
Kayla Glenn

A passionate gamer and tech enthusiast with years of experience in game journalism and community building.