The Israeli government has permitted Red Cross and Egyptian rescue teams to move beyond the “yellow line” inside Gaza to locate the bodies of hostages, officials confirmed on Sunday. The “yellow line” marks the limit of Israel’s troop withdrawal.

Hamas claims it cannot find the remains of 13 missing hostages and has not handed over any bodies since Tuesday. However, Israel accuses the group of hiding information and violating the October 9 hostage-ceasefire agreement.

Israel Reaffirms Security Control Over Gaza

Despite the ongoing US-mediated ceasefire, Israel has made it clear that it will continue to control Gaza’s security.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would decide independently when and where to conduct military operations.

“Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means and we will continue to determine our fate,” Netanyahu said. “We do not seek anyone’s approval for this. We control our security.”

Egyptian Convoy Joins Hostage Search

AFP footage showed Egyptian convoys entering Gaza with bulldozers, rescuers, and heavy machinery to help recover hostages’ bodies trapped under rubble. The vehicles carried Egyptian flags and moved toward the Al-Zawayda aid base.

Government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu personally approved the team’s entry.
“Now, this is a technical team only, and none of these personnel are in the military,” she clarified. “The team are allowed entry beyond the IDF’s Yellow Line position into Gaza territory to conduct the search for our hostages.”

Dispute Over Peacekeeping Role

Under the ceasefire terms, international peacekeepers—mainly from Arab or Muslim nations—are expected to secure Gaza. However, Israel has refused Turkey’s involvement and insists on deciding which countries can join.

Netanyahu stated, “We made clear with respect to international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us.”

Bedrosian reinforced his stance, saying, “The prime minister has said it’s going to be done the easy way or the hard way, and Israel will have overall security control of the Gaza Strip. Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will have no part in governing the Palestinian people.”

Humanitarian Crisis Worsens

Meanwhile, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues. Aid agencies report limited access, leaving families in famine-like conditions.
AFP followed 62-year-old Hiam Muqdad, whose family lives in a tent beside their destroyed home in Gaza City.

“When they said there was a truce, oh my God, a tear of joy and a tear of sadness fell from my eye,” Muqdad said. “The child’s dream is gone. In the past they used to go to the park but today children play on the rubble.”

Israel still controls more than half of Gaza and approves every UN aid convoy. It has also conducted limited strikes since the ceasefire, including one targeting an Islamic Jihad militant.

US Pushes for Ceasefire Monitoring

The United States has set up the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in southern Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the truce could hold if Hamas disarms and gives up control of Gaza.

He added that the Yellow Line should not become a new border. “I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilisation force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarised,” Rubio told reporters while flying to Qatar.

Hamas Warns Against Exclusion

Hamas and other Palestinian factions have formed a committee to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. But Hamas has resisted disarmament.
Its official Mousa Abu Marzouk warned, “Excluding Hamas from maintaining stability in the Gaza Strip could lead to chaos and a security vacuum.”

Hamas says it is committed to returning the 13 remaining hostages—10 Israelis, one Israeli missing since 2014, and two foreign workers. The group has already released 20 hostages alive and returned 15 bodies.

However, it claims finding the others is difficult due to the destruction, where over 68,500 Palestinians have died, according to the Hamas-run health ministry figures verified by the UN.

Israel Rejects Hamas’s Explanation

Bedrosian dismissed Hamas’s claim, saying, “Hamas knows where our hostages are, and we know they are aware of their locations… If Hamas made more of an effort, they would be able to retrieve the remains of our hostages.”