Hamas needs more time to recover hostages' remains, U.S. advisers say

Hamas will need more time to recover hostages’ remains still in Gaza, two senior U.S. advisers have said.

Hamas will need more time to recover hostages’ remains still in Gaza, two senior U.S. advisers have said, as Israel’s military began to prepare for the possibility of renewed fighting amid anguish and anger about delays in the return of abductees.

Hamas handed over 20 living hostages Monday, as stipulated in President Donald Trump’s plan. Nine of 28 bodies of slain hostages have so far been recovered.

The understanding negotiators had with Hamas “was we get all the live hostage hostages out, which they did honor,” one adviser told reporters during a briefing.

The advisers, who have direct knowledge of the situation, are not authorized to speak publicly.

Another adviser said the damage and destruction of most buildings in Gaza after two years of intense Israeli bombardment would make finding and identifying bodies a difficult task. During talks before the Hamas-Israel ceasefire and hostage deal was agreed, all sides acknowledged that the search would be extremely difficult.