|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Israel has accused Hamas of using heavy machinery intended for humanitarian recovery operations to further conceal the remains of deceased hostages, rather than recover them, according to a report by Israel Public Broadcaster KAN News on Tuesday.
The accusation follows the release of a drone video by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), showing what Israeli officials describe as a “staged recovery” in Gaza City.
The footage reportedly captures Hamas members placing the remains of a deceased Israeli hostage, identified as Tzarfati, into a freshly dug hole before covering it with soil.
Moments later, the same individuals appeared to unearth the remains and summon representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to witness what they claimed was a “discovery.”
KAN reported that Israeli officials monitored the incident in real time but instructed IDF forces not to intervene. Their decision, according to sources, was strategic — aimed at documenting Hamas’s manipulation for later release to the public, exposing the group’s alleged attempts to fabricate evidence of cooperation in the recovery process.
The ICRC later issued a statement condemning the staged recovery, clarifying that it had “no prior knowledge of the circumstances that led to this event.” The organization emphasized its continued commitment to assisting in the search for missing individuals and supporting humanitarian operations in the conflict zone.
Meanwhile, Egypt has stepped in to support the ongoing recovery efforts, transferring four heavy engineering vehicles into the Gaza Strip on Sunday via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The machinery, according to Walla News, was intended to help locate the remains of 13 Israeli hostages who have not yet been recovered.
The Qatari network Al Araby TV also reported that ICRC vehicles entered the Rafah area to participate in the search, underscoring the growing international involvement in the recovery mission.
Despite these efforts, Israeli sources maintain that Hamas continues to withhold critical information. Officials told KAN that the group is capable of returning the remains of a “double-digit number” of deceased hostages but has shown little willingness to cooperate.
The same sources added that Hamas is fully aware of several burial locations yet deliberately delays their recovery for political leverage.
Hamas, however, has denied these allegations. The group reiterated earlier this week that it has already handed over all the hostages it could access and claims that locating others is no longer possible due to the scale of destruction in Gaza.
As the controversy deepens, Israel’s security establishment is reportedly weighing the release of additional footage and intelligence to strengthen its claims. The incident further strains fragile post-ceasefire relations and highlights the ongoing humanitarian and ethical challenges in resolving the hostage crisis that has gripped both sides for months.