Israeli general vows to recover all hostage remains and maintain military campaign in Gaza
By isabelle // 2025-10-28
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  • Hamas is working to locate and return deceased Israeli hostages.
  • The Israeli military chief declared the war is not over.
  • Israel accuses Hamas of deliberately delaying the return of remains.
  • The U.S.-brokered ceasefire is extremely fragile and could collapse.
  • The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic.
The delicate ceasefire in Gaza is being threatened by Israeli officials who are using the recovery of deceased hostages as a pretext for renewed military action. On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared the war is not over, creating a tense standoff that risks shattering a tenuous peace and plunging the region back into violence. "The war is not yet over; we must complete our sacred mission of bringing the fallen hostages home and continue the campaign against Hamas," Zamir told a conference of senior military commanders. This statement signals that the Israeli military views the current truce as a temporary pause rather than a path to ending the conflict. The comments expose the precarious nature of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has held since October 10.

A tense exchange process

The immediate friction point is the process of recovering and returning the bodies of Israeli hostages who died during or after the October 7, 2023, attack. Hamas returned another body on Monday, leaving a total of 12 deceased hostages still unaccounted for in the rubble of Gaza. In exchange for the remains of its citizens, Israel has handed over at least 195 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, many of which were unidentifiable and had to be buried in a mass grave. Hamas has argued that the extensive devastation caused by Israel's military campaign has made locating the remains difficult and time-consuming. An Egyptian team with heavy machinery has now been permitted to enter Gaza to assist in the search efforts. According to reports, Hamas has conveyed that it has located the remains of seven to nine Israeli bodies and is working to excavate them.

Political pressure for escalation

The Israeli government, however, has accused Hamas of deliberately delaying the process. This accusation comes alongside reports that Israel is asking the U.S. for permission to expand its occupation of Gaza as a "sanction" against Hamas. The political pressure for a return to war is not limited to military circles. President Trump has added to the tensions, using social media to press Hamas. "Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action," Trump wrote. This external pressure complicates the delicate negotiations and gives hawkish elements in Israel a powerful ally. Despite the ceasefire, the situation on the ground remains volatile. According to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli forces have killed at least 95 Palestinians since the deal was signed. The IDF currently controls approximately 58% of Gaza’s territory, maintaining a firm grip on the strip even during the truce. The humanitarian situation remains catastrophic, with aid efforts struggling to meet the needs of a starving population. The comments from Zamir and the political posturing from Trump reveal a fundamental disagreement on the purpose of the ceasefire. For many observers, the truce was a first step toward a more lasting peace. For the Israeli military and its supporters, it appears to be merely an operational interlude. The goal of continuing "the campaign against Hamas" suggests a commitment to a military solution that has so far resulted in immense destruction. The use of humanitarian issues and the recovery of the dead as bargaining chips and justifications for war sets a dangerous precedent. It places the lives of millions of Gazans, and the prospect of any future peace, in jeopardy based on a process that is inherently difficult and slow due to the very destruction the war caused. With the IDF chief publicly committing to continue the war and powerful international figures endorsing that path, the temporary quiet in Gaza feels like the calm before another storm. The sacred mission to bring the dead home is being weaponized, threatening to send countless more to join them. Sources for this article include: News.AntiWar.com TimesOfIsrael.com AlJazeera.com ABCNews.go.com
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