Hamas Seeks Heavy Equipment to Search for Hostages Trapped Under Rubble

October 18, 2025 | 07:02 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Palestinian militant group Hamas has handed over the remains of an Israeli captive recovered from the ruins in Gaza, while calling on mediators and the international community to pressure Israel to reopen border crossings and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave.

Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said in a statement on Friday, October 17, 2025, as quoted by Al Jazeera, that its fighters delivered the remains at around 11:00 PM local time, without specifying the exact location where they were found.

According to the group, the remains were recovered a day earlier and belonged to an Israeli citizen, not to foreign nationals captured during the October 7, 2023, attack.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed shortly after that Israel had received the casket from the Red Cross. The remains will be examined at the National Forensic Medical Center under the Health Ministry before formal identification and notification of the family.

The Israeli military urged Hamas to fully comply with the ceasefire terms and return all deceased captives.

Hamas reiterated its commitment to the U.S.-mediated ceasefire agreement, including the handover of remains still buried under Gaza’s rubble.

The group said it had returned all bodies it could recover but needed help to locate others trapped beneath debris from Israeli airstrikes. According to Hamas, 18 sets of remains are still held in Gaza.

Former Israeli diplomat Alon Liel said the return of captives’ remains carries deep emotional weight in Israel, adding that many citizens believe Hamas has violated the ceasefire by failing to return all remains.

“There is a lot of anger,” he said.

In a separate statement last week, Hamas said some remains were located in tunnels or buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks, requiring heavy machinery to retrieve them. The group blamed Israel for delaying recovery efforts by blocking new bulldozers from entering Gaza.

Most of Gaza’s heavy equipment has been destroyed during the war, leaving only limited capacity to clear the vast areas of debris.

On Friday, two bulldozers were seen digging through rubble in Hamad City, a residential complex in Khan Younis that was repeatedly bombed and heavily damaged during Israel’s offensive in March 2024.

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