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Israel allows Egyptian search team into Gaza to help recover hostage bodies

An Israeli defense official said the decision reflects a shift in Israel’s position, as earlier requests for such cooperation had been rejected on the grounds that Hamas should locate and return the bodies itself. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

An Egyptian technical unit entered Gaza on Saturday with permission from Israel to assist in locating the remains of Israeli hostages still believed to be buried in the enclave, Israeli officials confirmed.

The group brought heavy machinery and engineering equipment to support recovery efforts that have stalled for weeks.

The authorization came directly from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Egypt requested to participate in the operation.

His office described the mission as limited in scope, saying the Egyptians were entering “solely to locate the slain hostages.”

Both Israel and Hamas have shared information with Cairo to guide the team’s search.

An Israeli defense official said the decision reflects a shift in Israel’s position, as earlier requests for such cooperation had been rejected on the grounds that Hamas should locate and return the bodies itself.

The approval, he noted, was given at the highest political level following security consultations.

Israeli media outlets cited senior officials who believe Hamas could release as many as eight sets of remains but continues to stall in order to prolong the ceasefire without advancing to the next phase of the agreement, which would compel it to disarm.

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The fate of five other hostages remains unclear.

“There’s been no signal from the Red Cross about an imminent return,” one security source told KAN.

Reports late Friday suggested that two bodies might be handed over within hours, though no transfer occurred.

The issue was raised earlier this week when Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and top intelligence officials briefed US Vice President JD Vance at military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

They told him Hamas has the capacity to return at least ten bodies without outside assistance. After Vance departed, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio continued talks with Israeli leaders, pressing to keep the fragile ceasefire in place.