Al Araby reports that Red Cross teams will accompany Hamas search parties to examine burial sites east of Khan Yunis, raising urgent questions about recovery, responsibility, and the fate of Israeli soldiers taken during the October attacks.
Sources told Qatari outlet Al Araby that the International Committee of the Red Cross will accompany Hamas teams to inspect locations east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza where Israeli soldiers’ remains are believed to be buried. The move, if confirmed, represents a rare concession by Hamas to allow neutral observers access to sites tied to its brutal October campaign — but it does not remove the urgent moral and legal obligation Hamas bears for the fate of hostages and the fallen.
For Israeli families who have lived months of torment and uncertainty, even supervised inspections cannot substitute for full, unconditional returns and transparent cooperation. The Red Cross presence may provide independent verification of burials and help ensure any recoveries are handled with dignity under international humanitarian law. Yet it also underscores the tragic reality: Israeli soldiers killed in action remain pawns in a political and media battle, their remains used as leverage rather than treated as human beings entitled to burial rites and family closure.
Israel must press for immediate, verifiable handovers and robust international monitoring to prevent further exploitation. The world should demand accountability from Hamas — not merely escorted visits, but full cooperation to recover every fallen soldier and return them to their families.
