GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories, Oct 19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Hamas said Saturday that the closure of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza would cause significant delays in the handover of hostages' remains.

In a statement, the group said the continued closure "blocks the entry of specialised equipment needed to search for those missing under the rubble and prevents forensic teams and tools required to identify bodies", leading to "significant delays in the retrieval and transfer of remains".