More than a month has passed since the hostage deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump took effect, yet Hamas continues to hold the bodies of three hostages in Gaza. The government remains divided on how to handle the terrorist group’s failure to fulfill its commitment under the agreement.
An official familiar with the matter said Thursday there is “a genuine effort and authentic difficulty in recovering the remains.” However, other officials noted a decline in Hamas’ motivation to follow through.
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Hamas teams searching for remains of hostages in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighborhood
(Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
The three fallen hostages still held in Gaza are Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili, Dror Or and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak. Conditions on the ground remain difficult after two years of intense fighting. Despite Hamas showing less willingness to uphold its part of the deal, Israeli sources said these cases are “the most complex” among all the fallen. “Progress is difficult, but at this point we don’t believe it’s a deliberate stalling or deception,” the official added.
Hamas is reportedly searching for the remains in the Zeitoun neighborhood of southern Gaza City. “The search is difficult due to widespread destruction and chaos,” officials said. “Even if buildings are still standing in one area, a body could be buried beneath a collapsed structure.”
Israeli messages to Hamas have been firm: all hostages must be returned. “Israel is insisting on the return of the captives—this is not over,” officials stressed. “We won’t leave hostages in Gaza like after Operation Protective Edge.”
According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian factions in Gaza say the eastern section of Zeitoun requires heavy engineering equipment to retrieve remains located on the Israeli side of the so-called “yellow line,” currently under IDF control. That effort would require coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The report said Thursday marked the first time Hamas managed to access the area, accompanied by Red Cross teams and engineering crews. “This location had been nearly inaccessible to Palestinians throughout the last two years of war,” the outlet reported, adding that there is hope the search could lead to the discovery of at least one of the missing bodies.
Officials say Hamas may be reluctant to close the chapter on the hostages, fearing the loss of political leverage. At the same time, the group also has a vested interest in completing the deal to allow for the reopening of the Rafah crossing and the entry of heavy machinery. “Even Hamas isn’t entirely sure what serves its interests best,” one official noted. “The reality is extremely complicated.”
Of the three still held in Gaza—Gvili, Or and Rinthalak—officials said there is particular uncertainty regarding the fate of one of them. “For the other two, we have a general idea of the area where they may be located, but no more than that.”
'There’s a line—and we’re last'
A week has passed since Hamas returned the body of fallen hostage Meny Godard to Israel, but the search for the remaining fallen captives continues. While no Israeli officials now claim Hamas isn’t trying, the consensus is that the group faces real challenges—both intelligence-related and logistical—on the ground.
One example cited by officials is the discovery of a blood-stained cloth. At Israel’s request, Hamas handed it over for testing, but the results showed no connection to any of the hostages. The search for clues and remains continues nonetheless. Families of the missing and survivors of captivity are watching developments anxiously and urging leaders to keep the issue front and center.
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The last three hostages whose remains are held in Gaza: Dror Or, Sudthisak Rinthalak, Sgt. First Class Ran Gvili
Elad Or, the brother of fallen hostage Dror Or, told ynet: “It’s still a day-by-day situation. We’re doing what we can, talking to everyone. There’s that dumb saying: ‘Why are the last ones always last?’ Well, there’s a line—and we’re last.”
According to Or, “All the indications we’ve received suggest that the Israelis—Dror and Ran—really are the last ones. There’s a sequence based on the complexity of the retrieval. It’s not personal, and they haven’t forgotten us. That’s the consistent message I get from the army and the state.”
He stressed that the challenge is not political but engineering-related. “It won’t be easy for the IDF to dig and search where Dror is located. It requires international involvement. Hamas is searching on its own, but if they don’t find him, we may see a coordinated operation within the framework of the agreement. We have to be patient.”
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Elad Or holds a hostage poster of his brother Dror, whose remains are held in Gaza
(Photo: Gil Yochanan)
“This is exhausting,” Or added. “The frustration is overwhelming. You find yourself asking, how did this happen to us? I trust the IDF is doing what it can and making great efforts—but it doesn’t lessen the fury and heartbreak over what happened on October 7 and since. If the war had been shorter, more people could’ve come back alive. It could’ve spared suffering. Maybe we could have found Dror earlier. It’s hard to process.”
“The cliché that October 7 isn’t over is real,” he continued. “It feels like that day hasn’t ended. I wish the Israeli government had mobilized for us like the U.S. government has for its citizens. Just because they’re following through on the deal doesn’t mean I forgive them. I also don’t forgive them for not investigating how it happened. This is a whitewash, plain and simple.”