The search for the bodies of the remaining hostages is underway in the Gaza Strip. Clearance vehicles and excavators are digging through the rubble. At the same time, Hamas is increasingly appearing openly again – much to Israel's annoyance.
About a dozen bulldozers and excavators arrived in the southern Gaza Strip from Egypt overnight. Egyptian flags are attached to them. They flutter in the wind as people wave to them.
Many here hope that reconstruction will begin soon so they can rebuild their lives. 62-year-old Hiam Muqdad is one of them:"We want the rubble cleared away," she told a news agency. The children are traumatized and are still wetting themselves."The children have forgotten how to play. They used to go to the park. Now they play in the rubble."
More scope for action in the search for bodies
But the clearance vehicles now arriving serve a different purpose. Since the weekend, Israel has allowed the terrorist organization Hamas more leeway in the search for the remaining 13 dead hostages. The search is ongoing in Rafah and Khan Yunis in the southern coastal strip, including beyond the so-called"yellow line," behind which the Israeli army has withdrawn.
A search team from Egypt is also involved. Mohamed Mansour, spokesman for the Egyptian authorities in Gaza, said:"The authorities in Egypt have agreed to allow heavy construction equipment into Gaza. It is located at the Egyptian Committee's base in the coastal strip."
Years of waiting for a funeral
Between shattered canyons of buildings, an excavator digs into the light-colored sand. Onlookers circle the excavation site. Hamas and the Israeli intelligence service suspect the remains of dead hostages are here.
Hemi Goldin is the brother of Hadar Goldin, a dead Israeli soldier who is being sought. Hadar Goldin was killed and kidnapped by Hamas in 2014. His brother spoke at a protest rally in Jerusalem:"As long as all the hostages are not returned, but are still in Gaza, this is the war in which Hamas will rise again." Only when every single hostage is returned "will we have a chance to rise again," Goldin emphasized.
The Goldins have been waiting for the funeral for 11 years. Only with the protest movement that developed in Israel after October 7th did they regain hope of being able to say goodbye.
Hamas shows presence in the Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, Hamas has again established a presence in the Gaza Strip – much to the annoyance of the hostages' families. Armed terrorists wearing green headbands are accompanying a Red Cross team that is also involved in the search. According to media reports, search parties are also operating in the area where Israeli troops are still present. The military says they are keeping their distance. The ceasefire is holding.
While Israel, under American leadership, is monitoring the ceasefire across the border, Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya spoke out:"There's a room in Cairo where the mediators and a team of Israeli occupiers are sitting. We're in a room across the hall, monitoring the situation closely." They told the mediators months ago "that we're having trouble finding the bodies because the occupiers have destroyed Gaza so much," al-Hayya said.
Israel suspects delaying tactics
The terrorist organization could only recover seven to nine dead hostages, it was claimed at the beginning of the week. Israel considers this argument a delaying tactic and an attempt to regain a foothold in Gaza by arresting and murdering rivals in the meantime. Hamas's presence in the streets and now in its high-profile escort of search parties.
Israeli journalist Ohad Hemo concludes:"Two years after the October 7 massacre, Hamas is regaining legitimacy. It is unwilling to relinquish control of Gaza, nor its weapons. Hamas is still the interlocutor in the Gaza Strip." While there are attempts to circumvent this by talking about a transitional government, Hamas is even involved in this.
The Israeli government denies this. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu never tires of emphasizing that neither the Palestinian Authority nor the terrorists from Gaza should have any say in the future.
