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Families of Israeli hostages on Monday requested that any further actions regarding the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza be paused until Hamas returns the remaining bodies of deceased captives.
“Hamas knows exactly where every one of the deceased hostages is held. Two weeks have passed since the deadline set in the agreement for the return of all 48 hostages, yet 13 remain in Hamas captivity,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
“The families urge the Government of Israel, the United States administration and the mediators not to advance to the next phase of the agreement until Hamas fulfils all of its obligations and returns every hostage to Israel,” the association said.
A ceasefire began on October 10 between Israel and Hamas, putting an end to the Gaza conflict that began with a cross-border assault by the Palestinian group, which resulted in 1,221 fatalities in Israel. During this attack, Hamas also took 251 individuals hostage.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza claimed the lives of at least 68,527 people, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry recognised as reliable by the UN. As per the ceasefire agreement negotiated by the United States along with mediators Qatar and Egypt, Hamas has freed all of its 20 remaining living hostages and the remains of 15 of the 28 that Israel had previously confirmed as deceased.
Hamas claims it is dedicated to the ceasefire while asserting that it is endeavouring to recover 13 additional bodies—11 more Israelis and two workers from Thailand and Tanzania—but that the search has been hindered by the devastation caused during the conflict. In a statement to the press on Saturday, Khalil al-Hayya, the lead negotiator for Hamas, mentioned: “Finding the bodies of Israeli captives has become challenging due to the changes in Gaza’s landscape caused by the occupation.”
In recent days, Egypt has dispatched recovery teams and heavy excavation machinery into Gaza, with the approval of Israel, to assist in the recovery efforts. No precise timeline has been provided for the subsequent phases of the plan; however, the Trump administration is seeking to establish an international security force composed of troops from Arab and Muslim nations to oversee the ceasefire.
The US military has also established a coordination centre in southern Israel to oversee the ceasefire and manage aid and reconstruction efforts, but humanitarian organisations are advocating for increased access for relief convoys within Gaza. Although Israel has pulled its forces back from Gaza’s larger cities, it continues to control approximately half of the territory from positions along a designated “Yellow Line,” and it has declined to permit aid through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
