Al-Hayya explained, in an interview broadcast by Al Jazeera on Sunday evening, that the search is facing significant difficulties due to "the occupation's changing nature of the land in Gaza," noting that "some of those who buried the bodies were martyred, and no one knows their exact locations anymore."
Al-Hayya indicated that the resistance is working "day and night" to locate the bodies, and that a joint operations room in Cairo, comprising mediators and representatives from the occupation, is monitoring the case. He confirmed that equipment has been brought in from the Egyptian side to facilitate the search operations under the supervision of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Al-Hayya stressed that "the resistance's decision is clear: no body will remain unclaimed," calling on the occupation not to exploit this issue "to prolong the suffering of the Palestinian people."
In contrast, US Vice President J.D. Vance, during his visit to Israel, stated that "the issue of the prisoners killed in Gaza is extremely complex," noting that some of them are "buried under tons of rubble" and that resolving the issue will take time.
Since the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement went into effect on October 10, Hamas has handed over the bodies of 16 of the 28 prisoners, most of them Israelis. Hamas asserts that it seeks to fully close this file, but requires time, heavy equipment, and advanced technology to retrieve the remaining bodies.
Gaza administration and the next stage
On domestic affairs, Al-Hayya revealed that "Hamas has agreed to form a national committee to administer the Gaza Strip" from independent figures nominated by Egypt, stressing that the movement is prepared to hand over full administrative control.
He explained that a list of more than 40 non-partisan national figures was presented to our Egyptian brothers approximately four months ago, noting that the new administrative committee will manage all the sector's affairs and that a civilian police force will be established under its authority.
Al-Hayya confirmed that Palestinian factions, including Fatah, have agreed on the general guidelines for managing the next phase, adding that the committee will be "the official address for the administration of Gaza" and will handle all administrative and service matters.
Al-Hayya explained that the Palestinian factions agreed to deploy UN forces to monitor the ceasefire and secure the borders, stressing that "their missions will be purely external, without any interference within the Gaza Strip." He added that the movement welcomes the participation of Arab and Islamic groups within these forces.
Al-Hayya also announced the factions' agreement to establish an international body for the reconstruction of Gaza, which would be responsible for raising funding and directly supervising projects. He called for the reconstruction process and the flow of humanitarian aid to be accelerated.
Regarding recent meetings with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Al-Hayya said he assured them that the Palestinians "seek to live in peace in an independent state" and that their only problem is "with those who occupied their land."
He noted that the envoys conveyed assurances from US President Donald Trump that "the war is over and that he is committed to stabilizing Gaza and beginning reconstruction," adding, "We believe that Trump is the one who is capable, at this stage, of curbing the occupation and preventing a recurrence of war."
Resistance weapons and the interim agreement
Regarding Hamas's weapons, Al-Hayya stressed that "weapons are linked to the existence of occupation and aggression," adding, "If the occupation ends and a Palestinian state is established, these weapons and their men will become part of the state."
It's worth noting that Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement on October 9, under Trump's auspices. The first phase of the agreement went into effect the following day and included a cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the "Yellow Line," and a prisoner exchange.
The second phase, which has yet to be approved, is scheduled to include the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, the disarmament of Hamas, and the establishment of a "Peace Council" as an interim governing body in Gaza under international supervision and headed by Trump.
This agreement ended a two-year genocidal war waged by Israel with American support, resulting in the deaths of 68,519 Palestinians, the injury of 170,382 others, and the destruction of 90 percent of civilian infrastructure, with initial losses estimated at approximately $70 billion.
