Terrorist organizations that are still operating in the Gaza Strip are facing increasing scrutiny after Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced the discovery of a hostage's body in an area north of Nuseirat.
According to statements from the group itself, the body was found during excavation work in central Gaza, confirming a previous report released by Al Jazeera. However, so far there is no confirmation regarding a formal transfer of the body to Israel, as required by the current ceasefire agreement.
Three bodies of murdered hostages remain held in the Strip—the Israelis Dror Or and Sergeant Major Ran Gvili, and the Thai citizen Sudthisak Rinthalak—even though the terrorist organizations are obligated to hand them over.
Arab media reported over the weekend that both Hamas and Islamic Jihad have intensified searches to locate the remains, sometimes using heavy machinery and armed presence. Images released show members of Islamic Jihad guarding excavators, some of them with Egyptian flags, while work is being carried out in Nuseirat.
Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported that Hamas is conducting additional excavations in the Zeitoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City.
From Jerusalem, official sources are questioning the claim that the terrorist groups "can't find" the bodies, recalling that they themselves have hidden, moved, and manipulated the hostages' remains for months.
The most recent case of restitution was that of Meny Godard, who was murdered and kidnapped in Kibbutz Be’eri, whose body was returned on November 13.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces continue to act to prevent any attempt at terrorist reorganization. On Monday, the army confirmed that it identified and eliminated three operatives who crossed the so-called "Yellow Line" in southern Gaza, a boundary marking the Israeli tactical withdrawal in the area.
The individuals were detected in the Khan Yunis area approaching soldiers from the Kfir Brigade and posing what the army described as "an immediate threat." With information from ground troops, the Air Force carried out a precise strike that neutralized the terrorists.
Hours later, two other similar incidents occurred in the north of the Strip, where armed operatives approached troops from the 188th Armored Brigade and reservists from the Carmeli Brigade. Israeli forces replied by opening fire and eliminating two of the strikers.
In a context in which Israel continues to demand the return of all hostages—alive or deceased—and keeps defensive operations to ensure the safety of its soldiers and civilians, the actions of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are raising more questions than answers.
For Israeli society, the priority remains clear: bringing every one of the abducted home and preventing terrorist organizations from threatening the border again.
