Israel will continue refusing to allow a Turkish delegation of 81 rescue personnel and heavy equipment to enter the Gaza Strip until Hamas returns all the remains of deceased hostages that it can, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
“There is a group of hostages’ bodies that Hamas can return right now [and] another group they know the location of, but they need equipment and assistance to retrieve them,” another source said. “And there are some bodies they genuinely do not know where they are.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Thursday: “We know for certain that Hamas can easily release a significant number of hostages in accordance with the agreement. What they are doing now is a fundamental violation of that agreement.”
Netanyahu convenes security cabinet to discuss remaining Gaza hostages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday convened senior security officials to discuss Hamas’s refusal to return the bodies of the fallen and the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan.
“I know exactly how many fallen soldiers Hamas is holding, and if we do not receive them, Israel will know how to act accordingly,” he said.
After the meeting, Netanyahu spoke with Trump regarding Hamas’s delayed return of the remaining deceased hostages in Gaza.
Israeli officials are expected to allow more time for the Trump administration to pressure the mediators to, in turn, pressure Hamas before Israel takes further steps.
Mediators have said heavy equipment and experienced rescue teams would be essential to recover the remains.
“Some bodies are buried deep underground,” a source involved in the mediation efforts said.
“Others are near unexploded bombs. Hamas cannot retrieve those remains from such places.
We agree with Israel that Hamas knows where some of the buried hostages are, but it simply cannot reach them without assistance.”
Meanwhile, despite statements by senior Israeli officials that there will be no discussion of Phase 2 of the Trump plan until all hostages are returned, the US and other countries are continuing to hold talks on the issue.
In the coming days, senior American, European, and Arab officials are expected to meet in Egypt to discuss the plan, two sources familiar with the details told the Post.
“There must not be a vacuum that allows Hamas to grow stronger,” a Western diplomat told the Post.