An Israeli official said Wednesday following US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire announcement that Hamas has agreed to return the bodies of the deceased hostages but admitted it cannot locate all of them.
“Hamas committed to return the deceased hostages but clarified it doesn’t know for certain the location of nine out of 28 — about one-third of them,” the official said. He added that Hamas submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners to be released under the agreement, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded, “with only minor corrections,” which are now awaiting Hamas’s approval.
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Given Israel’s assessment that Hamas is unable to find all the missing remains, a multinational task force will be formed to complete the effort. The team will include representatives from Israel, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, and will coordinate with contacts inside Gaza to gather intelligence and locate the bodies.
Negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh finalized the structure and role of the task force, which will also receive assistance from the Red Cross if needed. Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, head of the IDF’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, contacted the Red Cross before the Israeli delegation departed for Egypt to secure its involvement.
“We are not stopping our activities and will spare no effort until the mission to return everyone is completed,” Hirsch told Ynet.