Location of 4 Hostage Remains Unknown as Israel Urges Return of All Captives By The Media Line Staff Israel does not know the location of four of the 13 remaining bodies of hostages held in Gaza, according to reports Sunday, as officials accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, withholding information, and delaying the return […]
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The Media Line: Location of 4 Hostage Remains Unknown as Israel Urges Return of All Captives
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Location of 4 Hostage Remains Unknown as Israel Urges Return of All Captives
By The Media Line Staff
Israel does not know the location of four of the 13 remaining bodies of hostages held in Gaza, according to reports Sunday, as officials accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement, withholding information, and delaying the return of the dead.
The Kan public broadcaster said Jerusalem has urged Washington to press Hamas to comply with the terms of the October 9 hostage deal, which required the group to hand over the bodies of 28 confirmed dead captives along with 20 living hostages who have since been released. Israeli officials reportedly told visiting US envoys that Hamas has not returned any remains since Tuesday and has refused to share coordinates or intelligence about the missing four.
During Vice President JD Vance’s recent visit, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir emphasized the national and emotional importance of recovering the dead, reminding him that Israel has spent more than a decade seeking the body of soldier Hadar Goldin, killed in Gaza in 2014 and still missing.
Hamas has claimed that it cannot locate all of the bodies, citing the destruction from Israeli operations, but Israeli officials insist the group is “playing for time” and holding back both remains and information. President Donald Trump accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire outright, warning Saturday that the group would bear full responsibility if the truce collapses and saying he was watching its actions “very closely” over the next 48 hours.
Before the ceasefire, Hamas held the bodies of 28 hostages and has so far returned 15. Israeli authorities say the delay threatens the stability of the truce and undermines ongoing humanitarian coordination.
To expedite the recovery process, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized Red Cross and Egyptian teams to enter Gaza with heavy machinery to help locate and retrieve the bodies. Footage published by Qatari outlet Al-Araby appeared to show Hamas members from its “Shadow Unit” working near Red Cross vehicles in the Al-Mawasi area, outside IDF control, as part of the joint recovery effort.