Khaleel Al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, stated that the movement is actively searching for the bodies of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, which “the occupation has altered significantly” due to the ongoing war of annihilation over the past two years.
اضافة اعلان
In an interview broadcast Sunday evening on Al Jazeera, Al-Hayya noted that “there are difficulties in locating the prisoners’ bodies because the occupation has changed the nature of Gaza’s land, and some of those who buried these bodies were killed themselves, so their locations are now unknown.”
Since the prisoner exchange and ceasefire agreement took effect on October 10, Hamas has handed over 16 bodies out of 28 prisoners, most of whom were Israeli. Hamas has repeatedly stated that it aims to “close this file”, requiring time, advanced equipment, and heavy machinery to recover the remaining bodies.
Al-Hayya added that Hamas and the Al-Qassam Brigades are diligently searching day and night, with an operations room in Cairo including mediators and an Israeli team, while Hamas monitors the situation from its side.
He explained that there was an agreement to bring in Egyptian equipment to facilitate the search and identify locations. Recently, new sites for searching the bodies were identified, some within the red zone occupied by Israeli forces, under Red Cross supervision.
Al-Hayya emphasized that “there is seriousness and a firm decision by the resistance not to leave any body unreturned, and we will search responsibly, and the occupation should not use weak excuses to continue hurting our people.”
A few days earlier, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance noted in a press conference in Israel that the issue of deceased prisoners in Gaza “is complex and will not be resolved overnight, as some are buried under thousands of kilograms of rubble and others are unaccounted for. Patience is needed; it will take time.”
Regarding the possibility of renewed conflict, Al-Hayya said: “I do not believe the occupation is motivated to return to war. Over the past two years, it has achieved nothing, while Gaza has sacrificed over 10% of its population through martyrdom, injuries, captivity, and disappearances—an extremely high toll.” He added that Hamas has a strong will to prevent a return to war.
Al-Hayya also stressed that the international community, both official and public, will not allow the occupation to resume war, though it might create obstacles in reconstruction, aid flow, and border crossings using weak pretexts.
Politically, Al-Hayya clarified that national issues are a collective responsibility, not solely Hamas’s. He said Hamas has met multiple times with other Palestinian factions, including Fatah, agreeing on general guidelines for managing the next phase.
Regarding the Gaza administrative committee, Al-Hayya stated: “We approved the list of names presented by our Egyptian brothers, giving them the freedom to select competent members of our people to manage Gaza. We are ready to hand over full administrative control.”
He added that over four months ago, Hamas provided Egypt with a list of more than 40 non-partisan national figures, from which selections were made for a civilian-police committee under the administrative body in Gaza, which will manage the sector fully and have complete authority.
Al-Hayya also said Palestinian factions agreed on a UN presence to monitor and enforce the ceasefire, tasked with securing borders and ensuring compliance, without involvement in Gaza’s internal affairs. Hamas supports the participation of Arab and Islamic entities within this international force.
The factions also agreed on establishing an international body for reconstruction, responsible for funding and supervising projects, with Hamas demanding prompt reconstruction and humanitarian aid flow.
Concerning his meetings with U.S. envoys, Al-Hayya said he conveyed that Palestinians are advocates of stability seeking peaceful life in a Palestinian state, with their only dispute being with those who occupied and expelled them from their land. He noted that the U.S. envoys were surprised to meet academics, engineers, and doctors, contradicting negative portrayals.
Al-Hayya said the envoys conveyed President Trump’s assurance that the war is over, Gaza must stabilize, and reconstruction should begin. He emphasized that Trump is currently the key actor capable of stopping the war and restraining Israel.
On Hamas’s armament, he stated: “We are a people under occupation; by international law, we have the right to resist. Our weapons, like those of other factions, are linked to the occupation. Once the occupation ends and a Palestinian state is established, these weapons and their holders will become part of the state.”
On October 9, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement under a plan by President Trump, with the first phase implemented the following day, including ending the war, Israeli troop withdrawal to the “yellow line,” returning alive and deceased Israeli prisoners, and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase, not yet agreed upon, is expected to involve a peacekeeping international force, full Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament, and the establishment of a temporary administrative body in Gaza called the “Peace Council” under Trump’s leadership.
(Agencies)
