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Hamas may have lost track of 5 bodies of hostages, but could return 8-10 others, is ‘playing games’, Israeli official said

“They’re playing games and stalling to prolong the ceasefire even without moving into the second stage, which requires disarmament,” an Israeli official said.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli officials said Friday that Hamas may have lost track of five hostages, but could potentially return 8 to 10 others, but are dragging out the ceasefire to avoid disarming.

“They’re playing games and stalling to prolong the ceasefire even without moving into the second stage, which requires disarmament,” a senior Israeli official told Yedioth Aharonoth.

Jerusalem and Washington are both pressing Hamas and international mediators to move forward, as Israel prepares for the possible return of additional bodies over the weekend. Hamas has so far released 20 living hostages under President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan but continues to delay handing over the deceased, claiming it does not know the location of most remains.

On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior intelligence officers met US Vice President JD Vance at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. The delegation presented updated intelligence assessments indicating that Hamas can recover at least 10 of the 13 bodies of hostages still held in Gaza without foreign help. According to the briefing, the group has access to sufficient internal resources to locate and return the bodies, rendering any proposed international or Arab-led recovery operation unnecessary.

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Military intelligence officials warned that Hamas has taken advantage of the truce to rebuild its capabilities in the Strip, reopening tunnel networks, restoring damaged weapons, recruiting new terrorists and reorganizing its leadership. The officials said these developments demonstrate that Hamas has no intention of disarming or relinquishing power.

“The message to Vice President Vance was clear,” an Israeli source said. “Progress under the Trump framework cannot continue until Hamas fulfills its part of the agreement.”

Israeli officials maintain that while Hamas can return eight bodies, the whereabouts of five remain unknown, complicating efforts to move forward with the next stage of the ceasefire, which hinges on the group’s disarmament and compliance with the negotiated terms.