Hamas says Israeli bodies are seven floors underground near unexploded bombs

The Hebrew-language channel i24 News reported, quoting an informed source, that Hamas has told mediators there are bodies of Israeli hostages located seven floors underground, close to unexploded bombs.

In a statement, Hamas said that retrieving the bodies may take time, as the movement needs specific equipment to locate them — equipment that is currently unavailable because the Israeli army is preventing it from entering the Gaza Strip.

The movement added that some of the bodies were buried in tunnels destroyed by the Israeli army, while others remain under the rubble of buildings bombed and demolished by Israeli forces.

According to the statement, the same Israeli army that killed those captives is responsible for burying them under the debris.

Hamas said that the bodies of Israeli captives it has been able to reach have already been handed over, but recovering the remaining ones requires heavy machinery and specialised tools to remove the rubble — which are currently not allowed into Gaza by Israeli authorities.

The movement stressed that any delay in returning the bodies is the full responsibility of the Netanyahu government, which it accused of obstructing the provision of the necessary equipment.

Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement and its determination to hand over all remaining bodies, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling and failing to meet his commitments, while hindering the movement’s humanitarian efforts to locate the rest of the bodies.

Israel has threatened to resume military operations in the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not fully comply with all terms of the ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on 11 October, particularly regarding the return of the remaining bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza.