International cooperation intensifies amid fragile ceasefire and renewed strikes in Gaza.
Joint Efforts Underway to Recover Hostage Remains in Gaza
GAZA CITY — October 26, 2025:
Hamas announced on Sunday that it has expanded its search operations across new areas of the Gaza Strip to locate the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages, as Egyptian experts joined the recovery mission. The move comes amid mounting international pressure to fully implement the terms of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
According to two Egyptian officials, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, a convoy of trucks and heavy machinery, including excavators and bulldozers, entered southern Gaza overnight via the Rafah border crossing. The equipment is intended to assist in debris clearance operations in Khan Yunis and other hard-hit regions where hostages are believed to be buried beneath rubble.
Footage captured by Agence France-Presse (AFP) showed the convoy moving through southern Gaza, marking the first significant joint effort between Hamas, Egyptian specialists, and international mediators since the ceasefire was established.
Ceasefire Agreement Hinges on Exchange of Remains
Under the terms of the October 10 ceasefire, Hamas agreed to return the bodies of all remaining Israeli hostages as swiftly as possible. In exchange, Israel committed to repatriating 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage body recovered.
To date, Hamas has returned 18 Israeli bodies, while Israel has handed over 195 Palestinian remains. However, no additional transfers have occurred in the past five days, raising concerns about potential breaches of the agreement.
Hamas’ chief in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed that the group is now searching for 13 hostages’ bodies still believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings.
“Some of the bodies are in areas of severe destruction, buried deep underground,” al-Hayya said. “Our teams are expanding the search, with the help of Egyptian engineers, to retrieve them as quickly as possible.”
International Pressure and Trump’s Warning
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that he was “watching very closely” to ensure compliance with the ceasefire, giving Hamas 48 hours to show progress.
“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We expect full cooperation under the terms of the agreement.”
Diplomatic sources in Cairo indicated that Egypt’s involvement was crucial to stabilizing the ceasefire, which remains fragile after several violations on both sides. Egyptian mediators have reportedly been in near-constant contact with both Hamas and Israeli officials.
Israeli Airstrikes Raise Tensions in Central Gaza
Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces struck the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday night — the second such attack in a week. According to Awda Hospital, at least four Palestinians were wounded in the strikes.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it had targeted Islamic Jihad militants allegedly planning an imminent attack on Israeli troops. However, the Islamic Jihad movement denied any such plans, calling the Israeli statement “fabricated.”
Hamas condemned the airstrike as a “clear violation of the ceasefire”, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of attempting to undermine the peace efforts brokered by the U.S. and Egypt.
The same region had faced heavy bombardment earlier in the month. On October 19, Israeli forces launched dozens of airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks that killed two Israeli soldiers, resulting in 36 Palestinian deaths, including women and children, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Humanitarian and Political Ramifications
Analysts warn that any further breakdown in cooperation could derail the ceasefire and trigger a renewed cycle of violence. With Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. acting as mediators, all parties are under increasing pressure to deliver tangible progress on the hostage recovery and body exchange process.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire. Massive infrastructure damage, compounded by the difficulty of excavation in densely bombed areas, continues to hamper recovery efforts.
“The longer these bodies remain unrecovered, the greater the political fallout for both Hamas and Israel,” said a Cairo-based Middle East analyst. “Egypt’s direct involvement signals just how fragile and high-stakes this phase of the ceasefire really is.”
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