Donald Trump’s fragile Middle East ceasefire hangs in the balance after grim details emerged how two Israeli hostages died at the hands of their Hamas tormentors.
On Monday Palestinian militants released the bodies of four of 28 who died in captivity as part of an historic hostage and prisoner exchange.
But hope has turned to despair after Guy Illouz, 26, is thought to have died after “not receiving proper medical treatment” while being held as a prisoner in the militants’ tunnel network.
The sound technician managed to escape the Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, but was injured when later seized and bundled across the border.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it believed Nepalese agriculture student Bipin Joshi, 24, who was snatched while sheltering from the rampage in Kibbutz Alumim, was “murdered in captivity during the first months of the war”.
It has not revealed the identities of the other two dead hostages.
Grief-stricken families, who have anxiously waited for more than two years for news of the fate of loved ones, are angry that the remains of only four dead hostages have been released by terrorists.
It has led to fears Hamas will not be able to – or refuse to cooperate – in locating the remains of the unaccounted 24.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said any delay in returning the remaining bodies would constitute a violation of the ceasefire deal.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has acted as a neutral intermediary in the repatriation of hostages from Gaza, said it could take days or weeks and there was a possibility remains would never be found.
In a statement it demanded “the dignified management of the deceased” saying the return of the bodies to grieving Israeli families forms “an essential element” of the ceasefire agreement.
The ICRC said its teams are ensuring the dead are handled with respect, adding: “Families grieving the loss of their loved ones have already endured unimaginable pain. All parties must ensure that the return of human remains is done under dignified conditions, and uphold dignity and humanity.”
Guy’s father, Michel Illouz, said: “People ask how I keep living. I live in chaos. But make no mistake – I won’t break, and I won’t give up.”
During the Hamas raid Bipin hid in a shelter which was attacked with grenades by terrorists. He managed to throw one out, saving his friends, before an explosion knocked him unconscious. He was then seized and taken to Gaza with several Thai workers.
A video filmed in Gaza in November 2023 showed him alive.
The IDF said the “final conclusions” of their deaths will be determined pending a full forensic review.
The prolonging of families’ suffering came as unverified reports claimed five were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza City despite the ceasefire. Many Palestinians have used the pause in fighting to inspect the destruction.
Under Mr Trump’s peace pact Israeli forces have retreated to an agreed point – known as the Yellow Line – although troops still occupy half of the enclave.
An IDF statement published on Telegram said “a number of suspects were identified who crossed the Yellow Line and approached IDF forces operating in the northern Gaza Strip, which constitutes a violation of the (ceasefire) agreement.
“Attempts were made to repel the suspects. The suspects did not respond and continued to approach the forces, the forces fired to eliminate the threat.”
Hamas said the incident was a “violation of the ceasefire agreement”.
During his historic address to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, Mr Trump ripped into his predecessor Joe Biden for failing to bring stability to the Middle East.
He called Biden, 82, the “worst president in the history of our country by far” with Barack Obama “not far behind”.
During the Biden presidency, the US supplied Israel with weapons that were used to kill tens of thousands of people.
But after Mr Trump’s barnstorming speech he was issued a statement saying: “I am deeply grateful and relieved that this day has come – for the last living 20 hostages who have been through unimaginable hell and are finally reunited with their families and loved ones, and for the civilians in Gaza who have experienced immeasurable loss and will finally get the chance to rebuild their lives.
“The road to this deal was not easy. My administration worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, get relief to Palestinian civilians, and end the war. I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line.
Now, with the backing of the United States and the world, the Middle East is on a path to peace that I hope endures and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike with equal measures of peace, dignity, and safety.”
The UNDP described the aftermath of the two year bombing blitz “devastating”.
Experts estimate that at least 55million tonnes of rubble will need to be cleared, some littered with unexploded.
The cost of rebuilding Gaza to make it habitable has been put at £52.7billion, according to forecasts by the UN, European Union, and World Bank.
There is lingering uncertainty over the next stages of the ceasefire deal which saw 20 living Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners returned to their territories.
French president Emmanuel Macron became the first Western leader to express his worry about the durability of the agreement, saying: “I’m concerned because we know how things work with terrorist groups.
“You don’t dismantle a terrorist group with thousands of fighters, tunnels and this kind of weaponry overnight.”