Hamas says 'Israel’s' refusal to allow excavation and detection equipment delays recovery of captive bodies.

Destruction of Gaza’s machinery and labs leaves authorities struggling to identify bodies.

 

The spokesperson for Hamas, Hazem Qassem, said the delay in returning the remaining bodies of captives to 'Israel' is due to 'Israel' refusing to allow the entry of essential excavation and detection equipment.

 

In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Qassem explained that the partial handover of some bodies was a result of “Israel not permitting the entry of necessary tools for excavation, technical support, and examination.”

 

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Qassem highlighted the widespread destruction across Gaza, saying, “There is massive damage and almost total changes to the landscape and infrastructure, and a severe shortage of excavation and detection equipment.”

 

He added that local municipalities had recently reported that 'Israel' deliberately destroyed 90% of Gaza’s excavation and detection machinery, making it extremely difficult to recover the remaining bodies.

 

The Hamas spokesperson also pointed to the lack of tools for forensic and medical examination, noting that criminal and health laboratories — including central labs run by Gaza’s Health Ministry — have been largely destroyed, leaving a “serious inability to identify the bodies.”