Israel has authorized Hamas operatives to join Red Cross search teams operating inside IDF-controlled areas of Gaza, including zones beyond the so-called “yellow line,” to assist in locating the bodies of Israeli hostages held in the enclave, Arab media reported Sunday.
According to reports from Al Jazeera and the Qatar-based Al Araby TV channel, Red Cross teams accompanied by Hamas members began working in the city of Rafah and are expected to expand their operations to Gaza City.
Hamas joins Red Cross teams searching for slain hostages in Israel-controlled areas of Gaza
Al Jazeera reported that Hamas officials met with Red Cross representatives in the Mawasi area of Rafah and provided guidance on the location of the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed and abducted during the 2014 Gaza war. The report said Hamas handed over maps and coordinates indicating where Goldin’s body may be buried in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood. Search efforts are reportedly concentrated in the Rafah area.
The reports also indicated that heavy machinery brought into Gaza on Saturday is being used in the search for additional fallen hostages, including in the Hamad neighborhood of northern Khan Younis.
As of Sunday, 13 fallen hostages remain in Gaza. Israeli officials say Hamas could return the bodies of at least eight of them immediately and are pushing for a breakthrough in the coming hours, following five days with no progress in hostage recovery.
Families of the fallen have voiced frustration, telling American officials in recent meetings that they believe Hamas is “bluffing” and has the ability to return the remains, but that Israel is not applying sufficient pressure.
Egyptian heavy machinery enters Gaza
Parents of one hostage whose body remains in Gaza said they are disturbed by Israel’s latest messaging. “We’re hearing Israel now say that Hamas might know the location of eight, but not five. That’s deeply troubling. Mistakes were made in negotiating this deal,” they said. “The release of Palestinian prisoners should have been conditioned on the full return of all the dead. Now Hamas is toying with us, and Israel is already preparing the public for more cases like Ron Arad,” they added, referring to the Israeli airman missing since 1986. “We can’t sleep at night.”
Amid pressure from the U.S., including a 48-hour ultimatum issued Saturday by President Donald Trump, Israel is not expected to impose additional sanctions on Hamas beyond those related to the Rafah crossing. The U.S. reportedly accepted Israel’s assessment that Hamas is misleading mediators about the whereabouts of the bodies to delay broader implementation of the cease-fire agreement and to avoid disarmament.
Egyptian officials also entered Gaza on Saturday as part of efforts to advance the hostage file. Senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya said Saturday that the group had begun searching for remains “in new areas,” a claim that appears to align with ongoing search operations.
The delay in returning the bodies of hostages is now seen as a major obstacle to moving forward with the next phase of the agreement brokered with international mediation.