Tel Aviv Approves Entry of Additional Egyptian Equipment into Gaza “For Search of Bodies”

Lebanon Today

The Israeli army radio reported that Tel Aviv may allow, this Sunday evening, the entry of additional heavy equipment from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. The aim is to intensify the search for the bodies of Israeli prisoners.

This statement came in a brief briefing by the official radio, without elaborating on the number of equipment or additional information. No official comment has been issued from Cairo so far.

The “Cairo News” channel quoted unnamed sources on Saturday that Egypt is providing logistical assistance and equipment to help locate the remains of Israeli detainees, given the large scale of destruction in the sector.

In a related context, Israel earlier today allowed members of Hamas and employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross to enter the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The purpose of this is to participate in the search for the missing bodies, according to confirmation from the Israeli government.

Israeli media reported that the Red Cross team is currently working with Hamas to locate the remains inside the “Yellow Zone,” an area under the control of the Israeli army.

For their part, Palestinian sources stated that a convoy of cars carrying Hamas members and Red Cross employees entered Rafah after the movement handed over coordinates for a location believed to contain the body of an Israeli prisoner.

According to the sources, the search operations are focused on trying to recover the body of Israeli officer Hadar Golden, who was kidnapped during the war on Gaza in 2014, and was one of four prisoners held by Hamas before the October 7, 2023 operation.

Also, the “Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath” correspondent confirmed today, Sunday, that a Red Cross team headed to Rafah after Hamas reported a possible location for the body. Israeli estimates suggested that some of the remaining bodies are inside the “Yellow Line” controlled by the Israeli army.

The “Jerusalem Post” newspaper reported that the bodies may be buried in this area, which represents more than half the area of ​​the Gaza Strip, and that search operations are continuing to locate them.

For its part, Israeli Channel 12 reported that the Red Cross team has already arrived in Rafah near the “Yellow Line” area to begin search operations.

It is worth mentioning that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas stipulates the return of all the remaining prisoners by the movement, living and dead, numbering 48, in exchange for Israel releasing about 2,000 Palestinian detainees.

But so far, Hamas has only returned the remains of 15 of the 28 prisoners who died, while the bodies of 13 other prisoners are still buried under the rubble in various areas of the sector. The movement confirms its need for additional heavy equipment to search for them.

Accordingly, the Israeli government approved an Egyptian request to bring Egyptian equipment and personnel into the sector to assist in the retrieval operations.

According to the “Al-Arabiya/Al-Hadath” correspondent, 14 Egyptian vehicles entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing, but they have not yet started working.

In this context, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the Egyptian team that entered the sector is “a technical team, and will only enter to locate the bodies of the prisoners.”

In a parallel political development, US President Donald Trump gave Hamas 48 hours to return the remaining bodies of the Israeli prisoners, threatening to take “measures” that he has not yet specified.