US advisers say Hamas needs more time to recover the remains of hostages.

By Manish

 US advisers say Hamas needs more time to recover the remains of hostages.

Two senior US advisers have said that Hamas needs more time to recover the remains of hostages still held in Gaza. This comes as the Israeli military begins preparing for the possibility of renewed fighting amid concern and anger over the delay in the return of those abducted.

Image nbcnews


Hamas handed over 20 living hostages on Monday, as planned by President Donald Trump. Nine bodies have been recovered so far out of the 28 hostages killed.

One adviser told reporters during a briefing that the agreement between negotiators and Hamas was that "we will take out all living hostages, which they honored."

The advisers, who have direct knowledge of the situation, are not authorized to speak publicly.

Another adviser said that the damage and destruction of most buildings in Gaza after two years of intense Israeli bombardment will make finding and identifying bodies a difficult task. During negotiations before the Hamas-Israel ceasefire and hostage agreement were agreed upon, all parties acknowledged that the search would be extremely difficult.

He said, "The entire Gaza Strip has been devastated. I think it would have been nearly impossible for Hamas, even if they had known, to collect all 28 bodies and take them home in a 72-hour ceasefire."

Hamas acknowledged the issue and said on Wednesday that "considerable efforts and specialized equipment" would be required to search for and retrieve the remaining bodies.

Early Thursday, Israel identified the two latest bodies returned by Hamas as Inbar Heyman and Sergeant Major Muhammad al-Atrash.

Funerals are being held as the dead hostages are being returned.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday asked senior Israel Defense Forces commanders to develop a military plan to defeat Hamas if the terrorist group refuses to implement Trump's peace plan, according to Katz's spokesman.

"Hamas must return all fallen hostages it holds," the spokesman said. He further stated that if Hamas refuses, "Israel, together with the United States, will return to the fight and take decisive action to defeat Hamas."

The United Nations said on Tuesday that it had received a letter from COGAT, the Israeli military's liaison with the Palestinians, stating that it would halve aid due to the slow release of hostage remains.

Two years after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and sparked war in Gaza, Israeli attacks have claimed nearly 70,000 lives in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. The enclave is in ruins, and most of the population is living without shelter and medical care. A famine was declared in parts of Gaza in August.

On Thursday, the Gaza Health Ministry said that 30 dead Palestinians detained by Israel had been returned to Gaza, bringing the total number of bodies received to 120.

Dr. Ahmed Edhir, director of forensic medicine in the Gaza Strip, said that all 45 victims returned Wednesday were missing a "thumb or toe." NBC News could not 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, in accordance with Trump's agreement and in line with one of Israel's long-term war aims, or face renewed military action.

Hamas has tightened its control over Gaza, with the group's internal security organization urging residents to report "wanted individuals," including "collaborators" of Israel. Video obtained by Reuters shows masked gunmen killing several people on a Gaza City street.

The advisers reported that planning has also begun for an international force to enter Gaza and stabilize security in the enclave. They added that Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Azerbaijan are among the countries that have "extended" contributions.

The United States has agreed to provide 200 troops to support the force without deploying to Gaza.

"Right now, we're just trying to stabilize the situation as much as possible," the adviser added.

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