Report: Hamas stalling release of slain hostages, fearing end of control in Gaza

By Stav Levaton

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20 November 2025, 9:10 pm

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Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel

Hamas is deliberately delaying efforts to locate and return the three remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza, amid growing internal assessments in Israel that the terror group is rattled by the recent UN Security Council decision outlining a postwar interim administration for the Strip, Channel 12 reports.

According to the network, Israeli officials believe Hamas views the UN plan — which envisions Gaza being overseen by an International Stabilization Force (ISF) — as a direct threat to its future control of the territory. Messages passed by Hamas to mediators in recent days indicate the group sees the resolution as “the beginning of the end” for its rule in Gaza, the report says.

In response, Hamas is said to be working to lower its profile and project compliance with the ceasefire framework set by US President Donald Trump, while avoiding large-scale attacks on IDF troops. Still, sporadic incidents continue, such as repeated instances in recent days of Hamas operatives crossing into the Israeli side of the Yellow Line in Gaza.

Channel 12 says Israeli assessments indicate Hamas suspects Israel could collapse the ceasefire at any moment, and is therefore intentionally dragging out the hostage release process despite having, at times, “significant” indications of the slain captives’ whereabouts.

Footage circulated by the group of purported search operations — including images from the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City earlier today — is often merely a “façade,” the report alleges.

Israeli officials believe the real aim is to stall for time as Hamas grapples with the expectation that it will be removed from Gaza in the next phase of the internationally backed plan.

The remains of three hostages — Dror Or, Ran Gvili and Sudthisak Rinthalak are still being held in Gaza.

Last month, the IDF published a drone video showing Hamas terror operatives staging the recovery of the partial remains of slain hostage Ofir Tzarfati in front of the Red Cross.