Egyptian rescue team enters Gaza to help recover deceased hostages - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum. Egyptian army search and rescue personnel, carrying heavy equipment, have entered the Gaza Strip to assist in locating and recovering the bodies of Israeli hostages, according to sources. They arrived late on Saturday and will work in parts of the enclave that are not under Israeli military control.
The team will also support efforts to make areas safe by dealing with unexploded ordnance left from the two-year conflict, which has been paused by a US-mediated ceasefire that began on October 10. Since the ceasefire, Hamas has released 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli jails, and has handed back the remains of 15 of the 28 hostages who died while in captivity in Gaza. Large-scale destruction in the territory - including the collapse of underground tunnel systems where some deceased were buried - has slowed recovery and return of remains.
Sources did not provide details on how many Egyptians are involved or the exact machinery they brought, but said the mission is coordinated with Israel and the United States. Egypt, which shares borders with Gaza and Israel, helped mediate the ceasefire together with the US, Qatar and Turkey. The pause in fighting and the exchanges of detainees and remains are part of the first phase of a wider peace plan; later steps are expected to involve complex issues like disarming armed groups, governance of Gaza after the war, and the possible presence of an international stabilization force.
May Allah grant ease to the families of the victims and make recovery efforts successful.
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