Hebrew-language channel: Joint international team to enter Gaza within 24 hours to search for Israeli bodies

Hebrew Channel 13 reported on Thursday evening that a team from the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey will enter the Gaza Strip within the next 24 hours.

The channel said the team’s mission is to search for the bodies of Israeli abductees in areas that Israel will specify based on its intelligence about their locations.

It noted that the Qatari side has prepared the necessary engineering equipment for that purpose.

Earlier, an Israeli political official said that, in coordination with the United States and mediators, Israel is exerting pressure to complete the stage of returning all abductees held by Hamas.

He added that Israel shared the mediators with the intelligence information it holds to locate the remaining bodies and complete the operation.

Responding to a question, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, asked whether US President Donald Mab had set a new deadline for Hamas, said that Witkof and Kushner are actively working and talking with both sides to find all the hostages’ bodies.

She pointed to concerns that the bodies may be buried deep under the rubble, which would require special equipment.

She affirmed the US administration’s commitment to implementing the ceasefire and hostage-exchange agreement.

Axios reported that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed in a phone call with Witkof and Kushner the issue of the hostages’ bodies and continuing to implement the agreement to end the Gaza war.

The site said the commander of the US Central Command participated in the phone call between Dermer, Witkof and Kushner.

It noted that the United States told Israel it is interested in continuing to implement the Gaza agreement despite the delays in returning the hostages’ bodies.