Exclusive: Hamas says Israel’s ‘indiscriminate’ destruction of Gaza behind delay in locating captives' bodies

A senior Hamas source has told Middle East Eye that Israel bears responsibility for delays in locating and returning the bodies of captives still missing in Gaza.

The source was speaking after Israeli officials said on Tuesday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed through Wednesday and accused Hamas of holding onto the bodies of captives it had pledged to return as part of the US-brokered peace deal that halted the two-year war.

But the Hamas source told MEE that its negotiators clearly stated during talks that the presence of Israeli forces and the genocidal, indiscriminate Israeli attacks that caused widespread destruction would complicate the task of locating the bodies of killed captives, requiring greater time and effort.

“They made it clear during the negotiations that time and great efforts will be needed after the withdrawal of the occupying Israeli forces, to collect information about the bodies,” said the source.

“This was clear and accepted during the negotiations. The signed agreement included a very clear clause about this".

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