Palestinians inspect the damage around their homes after an Israeli strike targeted the previous day the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. AFP
“We and the Palestinian factions are serious and proceeding to hand over all the bodies as stated in the agreement,” Al-Hayya told Al-Qahera News TV channel.
“We have no desire to keep anyone. Our aim is to return their bodies to their families and to have our martyrs’ bodies returned and buried with dignity,” he added.
Al-Hayya described the immense challenge of recovering bodies due to the large-scale destruction and the changing landscape left by the bombardment caused by Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. He said some bodies are trapped underground or beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings.
He added that the task requires time and heavy equipment, which Israel restricts, but stressed that “our determination and willpower will bring this issue to a full conclusion.”
Al-Hayya’s remarks come as Israel accuses Hamas of violating the agreement. Hamas counters that ongoing Israeli strikes and the restrictions on heavy machinery needed to clear the debris are the main obstacles slowing the recovery process.
Humanitarian aid
Addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Al-Hayya noted progress in implementing the aid provisions of the agreement.
“Over the past week, we have seen a clear commitment in the aid file,” he said, adding that the agreed number of aid trucks had entered the Strip through the crossings as stipulated in the deal.
He called for a rapid increase in aid deliveries to meet the severe humanitarian needs, urging mediators to step up efforts to supply more shelter materials, medical supplies, and relief items before winter.
Under the ceasefire deal brokered on 9 October by Egypt, the US, Qatar, and Turkey, up to 600 aid trucks per day are expected to enter Gaza.
Currently, however, between 350 and 450 trucks are entering daily, depending on inspection delays and security conditions at the crossings, which contradicts the Hamas official's remarks.
According to UN estimates, at least 800 trucks are needed every day to address the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where the UN has declared a famine.
Gaza deal endurance
Al-Hayya reiterated that Hamas and other Palestinian factions remain fully committed to the agreement signed earlier this month in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
“We are fully determined to implement the deal through to the end, as we believe it brings good to all by ending this war and allowing our people to live in peace like other nations,” he said.
Al-Hayya also expressed confidence in the agreement’s durability, citing the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
"We want it to hold, and our will is strong,” he said.
He praised the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace, co-chaired by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and US President Donald Trump, describing it as a major step that offered guarantees for the deal’s continuation.
“All this reassures us that the war in Gaza has ended for good,” Al-Hayya added, noting that the US president repeated that phrase several times.
He concluded by saluting the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, for their resilience and endurance under bombardment.
On Sunday, a Hamas delegation led by Al-Hayya
arrived in Cairo to meet mediators, Palestinian factions, and national forces to discuss the deal’s implementation.
The visit comes amid renewed Israeli assaults across Gaza, just days after the ceasefire was signed. Since it took effect on 10 October, Israel has killed 80 Palestinians and injured 303 others.
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