Operations to Search for the Bodies of Prisoners in Rafah with Participation from Al-Qassam and the Red Cross

SadaNews - Israel allowed several members of the "Al-Qassam Brigades" to enter areas controlled by the occupation army around the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, to participate in operations searching for the bodies of Israeli captives.

Reports indicated that resistance members joined a mission involving teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross, confirmed by an Israeli official, aimed at finding the remains of an Israeli prisoner held in Gaza in the Rafah area.

The official stated that "the political leadership approved the entry of a team from Hamas into the area under Israeli control in Rafah," clarifying that the step involves "crossing what is known as the yellow line" specified in Trump's plan, which states the withdrawal of Israeli forces from these areas in the first phase of the agreement.

Informed sources explained that the Red Cross and Hamas teams exchanged maps and information about locations believed to contain the bodies of Israeli soldiers, including officer Hadar Goldin from the "Givati Brigade," who went missing in Rafah on August 1, 2014, noting that the joint teams left the headquarters of the International Committee west of Rafah on a coordinated mission to search in multiple areas.

In the same context, heavy Egyptian equipment and vehicles entered Gaza late Saturday - Sunday, under the supervision of the Egyptian committee operating in the sector, to assist in opening closed streets blocked by rubble and completing humanitarian tasks.

The committee's spokesperson, Mohamed Mansour, stated that the equipment will be used to clear rubble and open roads, at a time when estimates indicate that Israel has destroyed about 90% of heavy machinery during the ongoing two-year genocide.

He reported that the arriving equipment includes "one excavator and two modern trucks," while informed sources noted that the total number reached six heavy machines that entered through the Egyptian committee.

Israel allowed the entry of the Egyptian team into the sector under American pressure, aiming to help identify the locations of the bodies of Israeli prisoners. It is worth noting that the occupation had refused to allow foreign teams into Gaza, claiming that Hamas "is capable of locating more bodies without external support."

The Egyptian team is working with the International Red Cross, while Washington continues to send its envoys to the region to maintain calm and prevent the collapse of understandings.

For his part, head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Khalil Al-Hayya, said on Saturday evening that search teams "will enter new areas on Sunday to find the remains of several Israeli prisoners," without specifying these areas.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement on October 10, Hamas has released 20 Israeli prisoners alive and handed over the bodies of 16 others from a total of 28 that Israel claims were killed in Gaza, while it asserts that the bodies of 13 prisoners are still missing.

Hamas confirms that it seeks to completely close the file of dead prisoners, but it "needs time, advanced equipment, and heavy machinery" to search in the areas destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

Earlier, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated during a press conference in Israel that the issue is "complicated and will not be resolved quickly," highlighting that "some bodies are buried under thousands of tons of debris, while the location of others is unknown," adding: "We must be patient, as this will take some time."