The Hamas terror group has announced to the mediators that they are able to rescue the bodies of 7-9 deceased hostages, who are buried under the rubble in Gaza, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
The announcement follows Israeli intelligence indicating that Hamas knows the locations of at least eight deceased hostages and can easily retrieve them, but could potentially have difficulty locating the bodies of up to five hostages.
It also follows a warning by US President Donald Trump giving Hamas 48 hours to make progress, in which Trump warned, "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 noted, "Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not."
"Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, 'Both sides would be treated fairly,' that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely."
On Sunday night, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, claimed to Al Jazeera that Hamas “told the mediators months ago that there are problems in searching for them because Israel has changed the landscape in the Gaza Strip, even in areas where the dead were buried. In some cases, it is no longer known where they were buried. There is American understanding of this issue, and we have made it clear.”
He also claimed that intensive efforts are underway on the ground to locate the bodies, saying, “Over the past week and the week before, after the release of the live hostages, there has been intensive and unusual work. Israel is monitoring these efforts.”
Al-Hayya also accused Israel of trying to renege on the ceasefire agreement and is using the issue of the deceased as a “pretext.”
“The problem today is not a real problem, but an excuse on Israel's part,” he alleged. “Our brothers are working in broad daylight, digging with outdated and very weak equipment, and continuing to dig more than 20 meters underground. Even US President Donald Trump himself understands this and is asking for more time.”
On Thursday morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior officials from the IDF Intelligence Directorate delivered an updated intelligence briefing to US Vice President JD Vance during a meeting at the Kirya in Tel Aviv.
According to Kan 11 News, the Israeli officials told the Vice President that Hamas is capable of recovering at least ten of the thirteen bodies of hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip, even without international assistance.