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Hamas blamed Israel for not handing over hostages' bodies

16 October 2025 22:05 (UTC +04:00)

The Palestinian movement Hamas has blamed Israeli authorities for the failure to hand over the bodies of 19 dead hostages to medical personnel, APA reports.

The radicals claim that heavy equipment, which Israeli authorities have banned from entering the Gaza Strip, is needed to retrieve the remains.

"In order to locate the remaining bodies of the captives, specialized equipment is required, which is currently impossible to deliver to Gaza due to a ban imposed by Israeli authorities. Therefore, responsibility for any delays in the transfer of the bodies falls entirely on the government of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu," stated a press release published on Hamas's Telegram channel. The movement noted that the remains of some hostages were "buried in tunnels destroyed" during Israel's military operation in the enclave, while the bodies of others remain under the rubble of buildings destroyed by bombing.