Israel gave Hamas permission to operate beyond the ceasefire line in the southern Gaza Strip to search for the bodies of slain hostages, sources in Jerusalem told Israel’s Channel 12 News on Monday, as the Jewish state counts down to the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for the bodies’ return.

“If by this evening Hamas does not signal progress or transfer the bodies, we will reassess our courses of action,” an unnamed Israeli official told Channel 12, adding that Jerusalem was “losing patience.”

According to the broadcaster, intelligence indicates that Hamas is aware of the location of most of the remaining 13 bodies, but is trying to buy time before moving to the second phase of Trump’s peace plan, which calls for the terror group’s disarmament.

Israel reportedly approved the search in IDF-controlled areas beyond the “Yellow Line” despite assessments that it was a Hamas show, to avoid giving the terrorist group excuses in talks with mediators.

Asked on Monday about reports that IDF soldiers withdrew from Israeli-controlled territory to avoid clashing with Hamas terrorists during the search for bodies, the military referred JNS to the political leadership.

Shosh Badrosian, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, would only confirm that an Egyptian “technical team” and personnel of the International Committee of the Red Cross were given permission by Jerusalem to cross the Yellow Line and search for fallen hostages.

“Hamas knows where our hostages are, and we know they are aware of their locations,” she told reporters on Sunday. “If Hamas made more of an effort, they would be able to retrieve the remains of our hostages. Hamas committed to a plan that would release all 48 of our hostages at one time. And here we are, two weeks later, demanding the release of our remaining hostages still there. Hamas kidnapped these people and it is their responsibility to bring them back home,” stated Badrosian.

Hamas has not returned any remains since Oct. 21, and Israeli officials have reportedly told visiting U.S. counterparts that the terrorist group has refused to share coordinates or intelligence on remaining bodies.

So far, Hamas has returned only 15. Jerusalem reportedly believes that the terror organization can locate at least 10 of the 13 remaining bodies.

On Saturday, Trump urged Hamas to return over the following 48 hours the remains of the deceased hostages the terror group still holds in Gaza or face action by “the other countries involved” in his peace agreement.

“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly,” he wrote on Truth Social, “or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action.”

“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they are not. Perhaps it has to do with their disarming,” the president continued in his post.

“When I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that only applies if they comply with their obligations,” he added. “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”

Trump’s post came in the wake of a series of visits to Israel by senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to solidify the ceasefire deal that went into effect two weeks ago.

Rubio told reporters aboard on his plane between Tel Aviv and Doha on Saturday that Hamas “made a commitment” to demilitarize. “That’s part of this deal; they have to keep it,” Rubio said. “If they don’t keep it, then the area that they’re in will never really see the benefits of the deal.”

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