Hamas will need more time to recover hostages’ remains still in Gaza, two senior U.S. advisers have said, as Israel’s military began to prepare for the possibility of renewed fighting amid anguish and anger about delays in the return of abductees.
Hamas handed over 20 living hostages Monday, as stipulated in President Donald Trump’s plan. Nine of 28 bodies of slain hostages have so far been recovered.
The understanding negotiators had with Hamas was “we get all the live hostage hostages out, which they did honor,” one adviser told reporters during a briefing.
The advisers, who have direct knowledge of the situation, are not authorized to speak publicly.
Another adviser said the damage and destruction of most buildings in Gaza after two years of intense Israeli bombardment would make finding and identifying bodies a difficult task. During talks before the Hamas-Israel ceasefire and hostage deal was agreed, all sides acknowledged that the search would be extremely difficult.
“The entire Gaza Strip has been pulverized,” they said. “In a 72-hour ceasefire period, I think it would have been almost impossible for Hamas to mobilize, even if they knew where all the 28 bodies were, to mobilize and get them home.”
Hamas has acknowledged this issue, and on Wednesday said that the remaining bodies required "significant efforts and specialized equipment to search for and retrieve."
Early Thursday, Israel identified the latest two bodies returned by Hamas as Inbar Hayman and Sgt. Maj. Muhammad al-Atarash.
Funerals are being held as the dead hostages are returned.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told senior Israel Defense Forces commanders Wednesday to prepare a military plan to defeat Hamas if the militant group refuses to implement the U.S.-brokered peace plan, according to Katz’s spokesperson.
“Hamas must return all the fallen hostages in its possession,” the spokesperson said, adding that if Hamas refused, "Israel, in coordination with the U.S., will return to fighting and act to decisively to defeat Hamas.”
The United Nations said Tuesday it had received a letter from COGAT, the Israeli military’s liaison with the Palestinians, informing them they would halve the amount of aid due to the slow release of the remains of hostages.
Two years after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 and triggered the war in Gaza, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 70,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. The enclave lies in ruins, and a vast majority of the population lives without adequate access to shelter and medical care. Famine was declared in parts of Gaza in August.
On Thursday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said 30 deceased Palestinians being held by Israel were returned to Gaza, bringing the total number of bodies received to 120.
Dr. Ahmed Edheir, director of forensic medicine in the Gaza Strip, said that all 45 of the victims returned Wednesday were missing a "thumb or big toe." NBC News was not able to independently verify this claim.
The Israel Prison Service directed NBC News to the IDF, which did not respond to a request for comment.
Katz also demanded that Hamas disarm, as stipulated in Trump's agreement and in line with one of Israel's longtime war aims, or face renewed military action.
Hamas has appeared to tighten its control on Gaza, as the group’s internal security organization has urged residents to report “wanted individuals,” including “collaborators” with Israel. Video obtained by Reuters appeared to show masked gunmen executing several men in a Gaza City street.
Planning has also begun for an international force to enter Gaza and stabilize security in the enclave, the advisers said, adding that Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Azerbaijan were among the countries that had "raised their hand" to contribute.
The United States has agreed to provide up to 200 troops to support the force without being deployed in Gaza itself.
“Right now what we’re looking to accomplish is just a basic stabilization of the situation,” the adviser added.
