Gaza - Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem denied Israeli claims that the movement knew the locations of the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, describing these accusations as "incorrect."
He explained in a statement to the Qatari Al Jazeera channel that the extent of the destruction resulting from the war complicated the process of reaching the bodies, stressing "the right of the people of Gaza to bring in the necessary equipment to recover the thousands of victims from under the rubble."
Qassem affirmed the movement's commitment to the first phase of the agreement, expressing its willingness to hand over the bodies of the Israeli hostages "as soon as possible." Israeli media, however, reported that Hamas, according to its claims, "knows the burial sites but is not currently handing over the bodies."
On the ground, Israel announced the implementation of a military operation near the village of Kafr Qud in Jenin, in the northern West Bank, which resulted in the deaths of three Palestinians, following shelling and clashes that Tel Aviv described as targeting an "armed cell."
Israeli orders were also issued to seize approximately 73 dunams of Palestinian land in Ramallah and al-Bireh.
In Gaza, the remains of a hostage arrived at the Tel Aviv Forensic Institute after being received by the Red Cross and transferred to Israel by the army, according to the Jerusalem Post.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that "any attempt by terrorist organizations to rebuild their infrastructure" in the West Bank would be met with a "harsh response." He added that the army leadership had received instructions to take "all necessary measures to eliminate threats in the area."
Katz confirmed that Israeli forces would continue to be present in what he described as "terrorist camps" in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams with the aim of "preventing attacks," emphasizing that "anyone who provides support or shelter to terrorist elements will be treated according to the Jenin camp model." Hamas continues its search for the bodies of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, while announcing the expansion of the search to include new areas, more than two weeks after the US-brokered truce came into effect.
In the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, bulldozers and excavators were seen working at a designated search site, while a number of citizens gathered to monitor ongoing efforts to recover remains from under the rubble left by the recent war.
According to the terms of the agreement, which went into effect on October 10, Hamas is obligated to return all the bodies of the Israeli hostages as soon as possible, in exchange for Israel handing over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each hostage.
To date, Hamas has returned the remains of 15 hostages, while Israel has handed over the bodies of 195 Palestinians, many of whom remain unidentified.
In an effort to bolster the truce agreement, an Egyptian engineering team entered the Gaza Strip on Saturday equipped with heavy equipment, including excavators and bulldozers, as part of Cairo's efforts to consolidate the ceasefire, according to two Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump: "We're watching closely"
In a related development, US President Donald Trump stressed that his country is closely monitoring Hamas's commitment to returning the bodies. He said in a social media post on Saturday: "Some bodies are difficult to access, but others can be returned now, and for some reason they're not."
Trump's statements came amid increasing US pressure on the parties involved to fully implement the terms of the truce and ensure progress in negotiations toward post-war arrangements in Gaza.
International media remain banned from entering Gaza except on limited visits accompanied by the Israeli military, while Israel confirmed on Sunday that these restrictions remain in place.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and its partners continue to call on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from a dire famine crisis, warning that delaying the arrival of aid could lead to a wider humanitarian disaster.
An announcement was made in Brussels on Monday that 75 people had been evacuated from Gaza to Belgium. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced: "This is not a matter of medical repatriation, but of family reunification." According to local media in the Belgian capital, including the newspaper "Nieuwsblad," "On Monday afternoon, 75 beneficiaries arrived in Belgium. These are Belgian citizens, recognized refugees, or close relatives with a valid visa or residence permit. This has always been within the framework of family reunification," said ministry spokesman David Jordens. The 75 passengers arrived at Ostend Airport that afternoon. "So, this is not a matter of medical repatriation."
After October 7, 2023, the previous federal government established a list of people eligible for repatriation. "The current government has decided to continue evacuations based on this list of approximately 500 people," Jordans said.
Approximately 850 Belgian beneficiaries have been evacuated from Gaza, and another 150 are on the evacuation list. The ministry added: "We cannot currently share any information on subsequent evacuations. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains prepared to assist other beneficiaries, who are still trapped in the Gaza Strip, to leave the area."
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that people in Gaza have continued to move across the Strip over the past two days, with more than 470,000 movements northward recorded since the ceasefire. Families continue to return to their destroyed homes, despite the dangers surrounding many buildings, the presence of unexploded ordnance, and the urgent need for water, food, and basic services. Meanwhile, the office reported that aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip, with more than 300 trucks loaded with aid collected from the Palestinian side—mostly through the Kerem Shalom crossing—between Friday and Saturday.