Hamas says closure of Rafah Crossing will delay return of further hostages’ bodies

By AFP and ToI Staff 19 October 2025, 12:23 am

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The Hamas terror group says the closure of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza will cause significant delays in the handover of hostages’ remains.

In a statement, the group says the continued closure “blocks the entry of specialized equipment needed to search for those missing under the rubble and prevents forensic teams and tools required to identify bodies”, leading to “significant delays in the retrieval and transfer of remains.”

The statement comes around the same time that Hamas hands over two caskets to the Red Cross that it says contain the bodies of slain hostages. The IDF receives the caskets shortly thereafter.