An Israeli official confirmed that the government has authorized several Hamas representatives to cross the yellow line into the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)-controlled zone in Rafah, southern Gaza, to assist Red Cross teams in locating the bodies of Israeli hostages. The decision, though highly restricted and closely monitored by Israeli forces, was made as part of ongoing humanitarian efforts to recover and identify the remaining victims of Hamas’s October abductions.

According to field reports, Red Cross and Egyptian recovery teams are currently operating in coordination with the IDF to locate bodies believed to be buried under collapsed structures in Rafah and al-Mawasi. These areas suffered extensive destruction during recent operations aimed at dismantling Hamas’s southern strongholds.

Footage circulating online shows members of Hamas’s so-called “Shadow Unit” walking beside a Red Cross vehicle inside the designated yellow zone—a demarcated security boundary that typically separates IDF-controlled areas from remaining Hamas positions. The presence of Hamas operatives under Red Cross supervision marks a rare and cautious overlap between humanitarian coordination and counterterrorism enforcement in Gaza.

Hamas has claimed it cannot locate the bodies of the 13 remaining Israeli hostages, despite repeated demands under the October 9 recovery agreement brokered by Egypt and the United States. Israeli intelligence sources, however, believe the group continues to withhold information and possibly retain remains in undisclosed tunnels or compounds.

Israeli officials emphasized that the authorization does not represent any political negotiation or concession, but rather a limited humanitarian measure aimed at bringing closure to the families of the murdered hostages. “The IDF retains full control of the area and oversight of all movements,” the source said, adding that any further cooperation will depend on verified progress and strict adherence to Red Cross protocols.

The situation highlights the ongoing complexity of post-conflict operations in Gaza, where humanitarian necessity and national security frequently intersect. While Israel continues to prioritize the recovery of every missing citizen, it remains resolute that Hamas bears full responsibility for the hostages’ fate and the suffering that followed its October aggression.