Israeli Official: Hamas is Delaying the Delivery of the Bodies of 13 Prisoners and Avoiding Transitioning to the Second Phase of the Agreement

Amid the ongoing first phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which has been in effect since October 10, a senior Israeli official accused Hamas of stalling and delaying the delivery of the bodies of 13 prisoners that have not yet been returned to Israel.

The Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" quoted the official as saying: "Hamas is holding the bodies of eight deceased hostages, while the locations of five others are unknown."

The official added in statements published today, Friday, that Hamas "is stalling and maneuvering to extend the ceasefire and avoid entering the second phase of the agreement, which requires them to disarm."

He also emphasized the Israeli pressure regarding the issue of the deceased hostages, stating: "Israel is putting strong pressure on the issue of the deceased hostages," explaining that "the Americans understand our position, as there are two American citizens among the deceased."

On the other hand, the terms of the agreement, which came into effect on October 10 under a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, indicate that Israel must deliver 15 bodies of Palestinians in exchange for each Israeli prisoner returned. So far, Hamas has delivered the remains of 15 prisoners, while it still needs to return the bodies of 13 other prisoners.

In response to these accusations, Hamas has confirmed on several occasions in recent days that the process of extracting the bodies from under the rubble is a "complex process that requires time, especially in light of the massive destruction in the Palestinian sector after two years of devastating war."