Newly released footage from November 20, 2025 reveals a striking and unsettling scene from Gaza: Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, openly wearing black uniforms and carrying rifles, standing alongside Egyptian search teams as they oversee an excavator digging for the remains of Israeli hostages. The militants, once operating from tunnels and safehouses, now move in uniform and in daylight—an indicator of how the shifting dynamics in Gaza under the fragile ceasefire have emboldened them to appear openly.

The video shows PIJ operatives directing excavation efforts in a sandy area believed to contain the remains of Israelis abducted during the October 7, 2023 massacre. This cooperation is part of an ongoing process brokered by Egypt, which has taken the lead in pressuring Hamas and PIJ to recover and return hostage remains hidden or buried throughout Gaza.

In recent weeks, several bodies—including those of Lior Rudaeff and others—were returned under limited, carefully managed arrangements. Israeli officials have acknowledged that at least three sets of remains are still unaccounted for, prompting intensive Egyptian-led recovery operations. The presence of PIJ militants at these dig sites reflects both their control over key areas and their desire to maintain leverage in negotiations by participating directly in the searches.

For Israel, the footage serves as a painful reminder of the brutal reality created by Hamas and PIJ: the ongoing effort to recover the bodies of innocent civilians years after their abduction. It also exposes the uncomfortable truth that, even under ceasefire terms, Gaza’s militant groups retain command of the territory’s ground operations and are unashamed to display their authority in front of international partners.

From a regional standpoint, Egypt’s involvement underscores Cairo’s critical role as mediator, attempting to extract the final missing remains while preventing another collapse of the ceasefire. For the Trump Administration and its pro-Israel allies, the images reinforce the argument that Gaza’s militant factions remain deeply entrenched and structurally intact—further evidence that any long-term stability requires accountability, demilitarization, and the return of every hostage and every body taken on October 7.

The scenes captured on November 20 are stark: militants with weapons, heavy machinery digging through Gaza sand, and Egyptian teams operating under militant supervision. It is a visual snapshot of the fragile, complex, and morally fraught process unfolding today as Israel pushes for closure, families seek answers, and Gaza’s armed groups continue to manipulate even the recovery of hostages for political gain.