Egypt Helps Locating Hostages’ Remains as Trump Touts ‘Everlasting’ Gaza Peace
Egypt has dispatched a search and rescue team to Gaza to help locate the remains of deceased Israeli hostages.
Meanwhile, the US President, Donald Trump, said that an international stabilization force would soon be deployed to Gaza to maintain security and stability in the enclave.
Egyptian Team in Gaza
Egypt is providing logistical assistance and heavy machinery to help locate and recover the bodies of the deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza, as Hamas has reported technical difficulties in recovering the remains of the hostages due to the large-scale destruction in the enclave, where the bodies are buried under rubble.
According to Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, informed sources said that Cairo is sending machinery and equipment to locate the bodies, in line with its role in maintaining the Gaza peace agreement, signed in Sharm Al-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025.
Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported, citing an Israeli defense official, that an Egyptian technical team has entered Gaza with engineering vehicles, after getting approval from the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hostages Bodies’ Dilemma
Previously, Israel refused to allow the entry of search and rescue teams, including a Turkish one, claiming that Hamas can find and return the bodies but is deliberately dragging its feet and holding back information about their location.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, the Palestinian group has returned all 20 living hostages and 15 of the 28 deceased ones.
In the light of this, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, pledged to return the remains of the deceased hostages, as he met with the families of two hostages during his three-day visit to Israel.
“We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas. Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their – and all – remains are returned,” Rubio wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Trump on Saturday warned Hamas to return the bodies soon or face action from mediator countries. “We have a very strong PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it has a good chance of being EVERLASTING. Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action,” he posted on Truth Social.
“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not. Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, “Both sides would be treated fairly,” that only applies if they comply with their obligations. Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely,” he added.
Gaza ISF to Deploy Soon
The US president said that efforts to establish stability in Gaza were underway, with an international stabilization force (ISF) to be deployed soon, reported Reuters.
“This should be an enduring peace,” Trump told reporters following a meeting with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani aboard Air Force One. He added that Doha would contribute peacekeeping troops if needed.
Furthermore, Secretary Rubio noted that US officials were working on a UN resolution or international agreement to authorize a multinational force in Gaza, with discussions to take place in Qatar on Sunday.
“Many of the countries that have expressed an interest in participating at some level — whether it be monetary or personnel or both — are going to need that (a UN mandate) because their domestic laws require it. So we have a whole team working on that outline of it,” he said.
The US top diplomat said that Washington was in talks with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye regarding the ISF, with Indonesia and Azerbaijan showing interest.
However, Netanyahu appeared to oppose the idea of Turkish troops joining the force in Gaza. “I have very strong opinions about that. Want to guess what they are?” he said on Wednesday when asked about Türkiye.
Rubio earlier reassured Israel that countries participating in the force would be “comfortable” to Israel. “There’s a lot of countries that have offered to do it. Obviously as you put together this force, it will have to be people that Israel is comfortable with,” he said.
Trump’s Stop in Qatar
On his way to Malaysia, as part of an Asian tour, Trump on Saturday made a stop in Qatar for refueling, where he met with the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim, and Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, aboard Air Force One at Al Udeid Air Base.
During their meeting, Trump praised the Qatari leaders and their crucial role in mediating the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, according to AFP. “What we’ve done is incredible peace to the Middle East, and they were a very big factor in it,” the US president said referring to Qatar’s leaders.
Qatar, along side the US, Egypt, and Türkiye, helped to mediate the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel earlier this month. They are also working to advance the implementation of the next phases of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, including ISF deployment, disarming Hamas and postwar Gaza governance.
