Hamas now says it can release 7 to 9 bodies following pressure from Trump

The talks followed a stern message from President Donald Trump, who gave Hamas 48 hours to begin returning the bodies, including two Americans.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Hamas told mediators on Monday night that it could recover the remains of between 7 and 9 hostages buried under the rubble in Gaza, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

The announcement came as intelligence briefings in Israel and Washington suggested the group knows the whereabouts of at least eight deceased captives and could locate most of them without outside help.

Israeli officials reportedly told US Vice President JD Vance during a Thursday meeting in Tel Aviv that Hamas is capable of retrieving at least 10 of the 13 remaining bodies. Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior intelligence officers participated in the session at the Kirya military headquarters.

The talks followed a stern message from President Donald Trump, who gave Hamas 48 hours to begin returning the bodies, including two Americans.

“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” he said.

Trump added that while some remains may be difficult to reach, “others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not.”

He suggested Hamas might be delaying because of its own disarmament challenges. “When I said both sides would be treated fairly, that only applies if they comply with their obligations,” Trump said. “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”

In response, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya told Al Jazeera that the group informed mediators months ago of difficulties in locating the bodies, blaming Israeli operations for altering the terrain. “Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried,” he said, claiming that “in some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried.”

Al-Hayya alleged Israel was using the issue as a “pretext” to undermine the ceasefire. “Our brothers are digging with outdated and weak equipment, continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground,” he said. “Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”