Hamas has notified mediating countries that it is actively engaged in the process of recovering the bodies of between seven and nine slain Israeli hostages, whose locations in various parts of the Gaza Strip are reportedly known to the organization.
The report, which cites the Saudi-owned Al-Sharq news channel and remains unconfirmed by other sources, comes amid growing international pressure, particularly from the United States, to expedite the return of the deceased captives.
Bodies to be Handed Over to Red Cross
According to the Arabic report, the bodies of the slain hostages will be delivered to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) immediately following their extraction. No specific timeline for the handover was provided.
The report suggests that Hamas’s military wing is utilizing heavy machinery, which has recently arrived in Gaza, to assist with the excavation and retrieval efforts.
This effort follows an ultimatum issued by U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend, who stated on Saturday night that Hamas must
"begin to rapidly return the bodies of the hostages who have been killed, including two Americans, or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action." Trump set a 48-hour deadline, which is set to expire this evening.
