Search continues for remains of three last Israeli hostages

Excavators searching for the remains of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas returned empty handed on Sunday, after a full day of searching for the last remaining bodies.

Egypt has deployed excavation experts and equipment to assist in the recovery mission, but progress has been slow.

Members of the International Committee Of the Red Cross accompanied the crews as they searched through rubble on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City.

Hamas has so far returned the remains of 25 hostages but three are still unaccounted for. Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10, Israel returns 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body handed over.

Israeli officials have accused Hamas of stalling, but Hamas says the destruction from Israel’s two-year offensive against Gaza has made locating remains challenging.