Locations of Nine Hostage Bodies Known by Israel

However, Israel is reportedly certain the terror group can hand over more bodies but is refusing to do so, and is also holding back information about their location, in a direct breach of the October 9 hostage-ceasefire agreement. US President Donald Trump has made the same accusation.

In an attempt to speed up the process, teams from the Red Cross and Egypt joined efforts on Sunday to search for remains, with the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Alongside the Egyptian and Red Cross efforts, an unnamed Israeli official told Hebrew-language media that Hamas representatives had been permitted by the prime minister to enter the IDF-controlled areas in Gaza to search for the bodies.

The search and recovery efforts have intensified over the weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump warned the terror group that withholding the bodies would put the Gaza ceasefire in jeopardy. Search efforts from the Red Cross and the Egyptian government have been approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas operatives have also been able to enter areas under the IDF to search for remains.

Hamas has stalled releasing the bodies of their victims because they may not be willing to enter the second phase of the peace plan, which would see the group disarm and be removed from Gaza. Over the weekend, a Hamas leader claimed that they had no plans to do so unless Israel also leaves the Strip. Disarming the terror group has been as big a priority to Israel as the release of the hostages.

After the remaining bodies are released the International Stabilization Force in Gaza will be made up of forces from Indonesia, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan. Our generous supporters join us in prayerthat the turbulence of the peace plan’s first phase passes and the nine hostages whose locations are known are swiftly returned this week.