Hamas committed to ceasefire, not delaying return of Israeli bodies, top official says

Hamas Political Bureau member Suhail Al-Hindi said on Tuesday that the Palestinian group has “no interest in hiding or delaying” the handover of the bodies of Israeli prisoners, emphasising the group’s commitment to implementing the current ceasefire agreement.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Al-Hindi said “the movement, the resistance, and the Palestinian factions are fully committed to the ceasefire” and had already transferred 16 bodies in a “smooth, credible and transparent” process.

“We didn’t hesitate for a moment,” he said, noting that Hamas had shown “great flexibility” in coordination with mediators regarding the return of both the living and the dead.

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Al-Hindi said the main obstacles to recovering additional bodies included damaged equipment, rubble from destroyed multi-storey buildings, and bodies buried in tunnels or in areas inaccessible due to Israeli military restrictions.

He explained that some of the bodies were located in “red zones” in northern and southern Gaza, and claimed that Israeli forces had barred Palestinian rescuers from entering Shuja’iyya and Rafah to continue search operations.

“The enemy must understand that we are sincere and committed,” Al-Hindi said, adding that resistance fighters had been working “day and night” to fulfil their obligations under the truce.

The Israeli army, however, has accused Hamas of withholding the remains of Israeli hostages, alleging violations of the ceasefire terms.