Israel Allows Entry of Egyptian and Red Cross Teams into Gaza for Hostage Body Search

Teams from Egypt and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been granted permission to enter Gaza to search for the bodies of Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attacks. An Israeli government spokesperson confirmed that the teams had been allowed to cross beyond the “yellow line,” which marks the Israeli military’s pullback zone in the Gaza Strip. The spokesperson stated that excavator machines and trucks would be used for the search, in line with efforts to uphold the US-backed ceasefire agreement. Israel’s previous refusal to allow such teams into Gaza has been reversed in this instance. Hamas has transferred 15 of the 28 deceased Israeli hostages, as outlined in the initial phase of the ceasefire terms.