Hamas says it is facing 'enormous difficulties' recovering Israeli hostages' bodies

16 October 2025, 18:08 | Updated: 16 October 2025, 23:16

Hamas has told Sky News that it is committed to every detail of the ceasefire agreement but says it faces "enormous difficulties" in recovering the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages.

Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesperson based in Gaza, said that recovering and identifying the bodies would require specialist equipment that no longer exists in the enclave and said that some of the hostages had been "vaporised" during Israeli military attacks.

He also said that the question of disarmament, which has been repeatedly highlighted by both American and Israeli politicians, was "complex and sensitive" with a need to avoid an "extremely dangerous security vacuum".

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Qassem was interviewed by journalists working for Sky News. International journalists are barred by Israel from entering Gaza independently.

The ceasefire deal initiated by Donald Trump mandated that Hamas should return all of the hostages it was holding, both living and dead.

So far, all 20 living hostages have been returned to Israel, while the remains of nine hostages have been handed over. That leaves a further 19 dead hostages unaccounted for.

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Israel has alleged that Hamas is breaching the terms of the agreement by deliberately delaying the return of bodies.

Mr Qassem flatly denies this and says it is all but impossible for them to now reach the remains of captives with the equipment they have.

He said: "We need heavy machinery, cranes, and specialised equipment for identifying remains, none of which exist in Gaza. All our heavy equipment was completely destroyed, as were all forensic laboratories.

"Therefore, we need technical teams capable of identifying bodies and dealing with the immense rubble. The mediators understand that."

He continued: "There are major difficulties in locating and reaching sites due to the destruction and the change in the geography of the areas. That means it all requires more time and effort. There is a great effort underway and Hamas is working to fully implement the agreement.

"We explained all this to the mediators from the outset, and they understood. We even heard from US President Trump that he acknowledged the difficulty of this issue, saying we showed a genuine intention to return the bodies."

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Trump has also been vocal about the need for disarmament, another stipulation in the agreement, even if it is vaguely expressed.