The Israeli government approved Cairo’s request to allow the entry of Egyptian equipment and personnel to assist as part of the efforts to locate and retrieve remains of slain hostages, an Israeli security official told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday evening.
The team and equipment have entered the Gaza Strip. Israel was preparing for the possibility that Hamas would release the remains of two more hostages soon, Army Radio and N12 News reported earlier, each citing an Israeli source.
On Friday, there were indications that Hamas was also preparing to return remains; however, the terror group did not.
Hamas could return eight more hostages to Israel; however, there are another five whose whereabouts are unknown, a senior Israeli official told Ynet.
There have not been any remains of hostages returned since Tuesday night.
The official told Ynet that Hamas is “playing games and stalling for time to extend the ceasefire, even without the second stage, which would require them to disarm.”
One security source was quoted by KAN on Friday evening as saying that no indication has been received from the Red Cross regarding an upcoming operation to return deceased hostages in the coming hours.”
KAN also quoted an Israeli source saying that the return of hostage bodies may be postponed until Saturday.
Meanwhile, on Saturday night, hundreds attended the weekly demonstration in Tel Aviv for the return of all the hostages, with the participation of families of hostages and survivors of captivity. Those present called on the public to come and support their struggle, under the slogan: “The people of Israel will not leave anyone behind and will not accept a different reality.”
Former hostage Eitan Horn arrived at the rally for the first time, and together with the families called for continuing the public struggle to return all the abductees remaining in Hamas’ hands.
According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, “We are in fateful days, testing days for the promise to return all our hostages. The success of the agreement will only be measured by the return of the last captive. The true picture of victory will be when they are all in the land of Israel – this is our national and moral obligation.”
Anat Angrest, mother of former hostage Matan, said her son feels a mission to return his friend Itay Chen, who is still in captivity.
“He feels an existential need to return him to the land of Israel,” she said. “It is an existential need for him and for the 13 families who are still waiting for their loved ones. Therefore, we are not stopping – we will continue until everyone returns.”
On Thursday, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior Intelligence Directorate officials told US Vice President JD Vance in a meeting at the Kirya military headquarters that Hamas has the ability to return at least 10 hostage remains of the 13 still held in captivity without external search assistance, KAN also reported.
Hamas using ceasefire to rebuild
IDF intelligence has recognized that Hamas is using the ceasefire to rebuild and regain control of Gaza, the KAN report said.
Meanwhile, the IDF killed a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist in the Nuseirat area in central Gaza, the military said Saturday night.
The airstrike was led by the military’s Southern Command, which has also deployed troops in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, the military added.
The IDF said that the terrorist was planning to carry out an attack against Israeli forces.