The Israeli government said the teams have been permitted to search beyond the so-called “yellow line” in the area controlled by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza.
Separately on Sunday, Israeli media reported that Hamas members had also been allowed to enter the IDF-controlled area of Gaza to aid the search, alongside the ICRC teams.
Hamas has transferred 15 out of 28 deceased Israeli hostages under the first phase of a US-brokered ceasefire deal, which requires it to hand over all hostage bodies. The group said it is now coordinating with Egyptian authorities.Donald Trump has warned Hamas to start return the bodies “quickly, or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action”.
An Israeli spokesperson said the Egyptian team has been permitted to work with the ICRC to locate the bodies, and would use excavator machines and trucks for the search beyond the “yellow line”.
The “yellow line” marks the boundary running along the north, south and east of Gaza that Israel withdrew to, as part of the first stage of the ceasefire deal.
Until now, Israel has not approved the entry of such teams.
Egypt, along with Qatar and Turkey, is a key signatory of the Trump-brokered Gaza peace plan, which was signed in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh earlier this month.
The news will be welcomed by relatives, desperate to give them a proper burial-BBC
