Egyptian convoy enters Gaza to help recover captive remains
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Egyptian engineers entered Gaza to assist in recovering captive remains, amid reports of Netanyahu’s approval and continued delays involving Turkish rescue teams.
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Palestinians walk amid the ruins of Gaza City, Sunday, October 26, 2025. (AP)
A convoy of Egyptian trucks and engineering vehicles carrying heavy machinery crossed into Gaza overnight to assist in the search for the remains of Israeli captives, according to AFP footage from the scene.
The vehicles were seen operating in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis early Sunday.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for confirmation regarding the convoy’s entry. However, The Times of Israel reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had personally authorized the arrival of the Egyptian team and several engineering vehicles to help locate the bodies of captives.
On Saturday night, Egypt’s state-linked broadcaster Al-Qahera News confirmed that the Egyptian mission was en route to Gaza. Two Egyptian military sources also told AFP that the convoy had reached the Karem Abu Salem crossing on Saturday evening, awaiting final authorization to enter the territory.
Turkish team still awaiting access
Earlier this month, on October 17, a Turkish official announced that a team of 81 rescuers sent by Ankara to aid in recovering the captives’ bodies was waiting in Egypt for permission to enter Gaza.
That clearance, however, never came. Israeli authorities reportedly objected to any Turkish involvement in the operation, effectively blocking the team’s participation.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian movement had committed to returning all 48 remaining captives, both living and deceased, in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons.
To date, only 15 of the 28 deceased captives have been handed over. The rest are believed to remain buried beneath rubble across Gaza, prompting Hamas to call for international assistance and equipment to help locate the remaining bodies.
Death toll on the rise
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that 19 martyrs arrived at hospitals in the past 48 hours, including four killed by direct Israeli targeting and 15 whose bodies were recovered, along with seven injured.
According to official figures, the death toll from "Israel's" aggression has risen to 68,519, with 170,382 injured since October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire was declared on October 11, 2025, Gaza has recorded 93 martyrs, 324 injuries, and 464 bodies recovered.
The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate despite international pledges of reconstruction. UN satellite analysis earlier this month revealed that 83% of Gaza City's structures have been destroyed, with over 81,000 homes damaged.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said thousands of Palestinians remain forcibly displaced and "sleeping out in the open amid severe shortages of food and shelter."
Read more: 85% of Khan Younis destroyed, City struggles under massive ruin
