Red Cross Accompanies Hamas in Search for Remains of Captives in Gaza Strip

A Red Cross official confirmed that its personnel accompanied members of Hamas into zones of the Gaza Strip still under IDF control to support the search for the bodies of individuals held captive.

Truce Terms and Captive Bodies Return

As part of the US-brokered ceasefire, which took effect on October 10, Hamas is obligated to return the remains of all Israeli hostages as soon as possible. As a reciprocal measure, the Israeli government has consented to hand over 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body returned.

The organization has to date returned the bodies of 15 of those held captive but zero in the last five days, as some of those remains are thought to be in areas beyond the ceasefire boundary designating Gaza’s ceasefire.

ICRC Role as Impartial Facilitator

“At the request of the involved sides, the Red Cross accompanied a participant in the hostilities as the group searched for the bodies of the deceased individuals beyond the IDF-designated ‘yellow boundary’,” said a representative for the organization.

She continued: “The parties to the conflict established the modalities of the operation and entrusted the Red Cross to serve as a impartial mediator. The ICRC was not involved in those negotiations.”

The official further explained: “The ICRC was did not participate in the search for the bodies nor does it take part in the retrieval of remains.”

International Legal Standards and Duties

According to international humanitarian law, it is the responsibility of the parties involved in a hostilities to locate, gather, and retrieve the bodies of the deceased.

US Demand and Local Search Efforts

On Saturday, the American leader issued a two-day ultimatum to the organization. “They is going to have to begin returning the bodies of the hostages who died, including American citizens, quickly, or the additional nations participating in this significant truce will intervene,” he posted on his social‑media platform.

As the 48-hour deadline neared, the group, accompanied by the ICRC, joined Egyptian teams, who were granted permission by Israeli authorities to search for bodies past the line indicating the withdrawal of troops inside the territory. An Israeli spokesperson said the Egyptian team would use heavy machinery and trucks in the operation.

Official Confirmation and Press Coverage

The news was supported by an unnamed Israeli official, who told Hebrew-language media that members of the group had been allowed to access areas of the region under Israel Defense Forces (IDF) control to look for the remains of captives, together with Egyptian and ICRC personnel.

“For this purpose, Hamas members were permitted to cross the designated boundary,” the official was quoted as stating.

Footage published by a media outlet appeared to show individuals of a specialized group – part of the group’s armed faction tasked with holding captives – escorting a humanitarian transport in a specific location near Rafah, which is beyond IDF jurisdiction.

Difficulties in Locating Hostage Bodies

Efforts to locate for the bodies of Israeli hostages has turned into one of the most delicate matters in the truce reached between the parties. However, the attempt to find the bodies has been difficult from the beginning, given the presence of an estimated 60m tonnes of rubble across the strip, where, according to local health authorities, at least 10,000 residents are recorded as unaccounted for, buried under the debris.

Conflicting Claims on Remains Whereabouts

Hamas has claimed it lacks information on the exact locations of all the bodies, saying it has lost contact with several of its teams that had been detaining the hostages and were reportedly eliminated during Israeli bombardments.

In contrast, an Israeli government spokesperson asserted that Hamas was aware of the whereabouts of the remains. “If Hamas exerted greater effort, they would be able to recover the remains of our captives,” the official said.

American Position and Disarmament Talks

While the American leader has acknowledged that a portion of the remains are hard to access, he said that “others they can return now and, for some reason, they are failing to do so.”

“It may have to do with the surrender of weapons of the group,” he noted.

The US administration has said it has obtained assurances from Hamas that the group will surrender its arms, though no clear timeline has been established. The militant organisation remains reluctant to give up its weapons without solid assurances about the future of its members.