The 2-week-old Gaza ceasefire faces seemingly intractable disputes over Hamas disarmament, foreign troop participation, Israeli withdrawals and future governance. For now, many Israelis and Palestinians are finding a common cause: locating, identifying and burying their dead.
Hamas still needs to hand over the bodies of 13 dead hostages to Israel, which has accused the Islamist faction of stalling in order to head off tougher truce obligations. With U.S. President Donald Trump impatient to see his peace plan proceed, Egypt sent in teams and equipment over the weekend to help excavate for the remains.
Palestinians unaccounted for and presumed dead are far more numerous — potentially as many as 10,000. In the devastation left by two years of war, with entire districts bombed or bulldozed into rubble, no one knows for sure. Those bodies recovered, including from the Israeli army in negotiated handovers, are often ravaged beyond recognition.
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