President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Hamas that if the group fails to disarm, “we will disarm them quickly and violently.”
The President was questioned about the designated terrorist organisation being disarmed, which remains a key condition for Israel’s agreement to a ceasefire deal.
Although the US initially announced an agreement had been reached, Hamas has subsequently indicated they wish to continue negotiations.
“We’ll find out,” Trump responded when pressed on whether he believed Hamas was honouring its commitments under the peace agreement.
Israel has declared it will restrict aid by maintaining the closure of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt tomorrow, claiming Hamas has breached the peace agreement by failing to return all Israeli captives’ bodies, reports the Express US.
Despite the ceasefire deal mandating the crossing should remain open, Israeli officials have confirmed the Rafah border will stay shut tomorrow.
In a bid to apply pressure on the designated terror group, Israel will also reduce the volume of aid entering Gaza.
Israeli officials have notified the UN that just 300 aid lorries, rather than the originally pledged 600, will be permitted into Gaza, with no fuel or gas allowed except what is essential for humanitarian infrastructure. Following the Israeli defence officials’ conclusion that Hamas has not made significant efforts to return the bodies of remaining hostages, aid to Gaza is set to be restricted once more.
This was confirmed by Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, who stated that a note had been received from COGAT, the military arm overseeing aid flows into Gaza, outlining Israel’s new directive.
Yesterday saw the terrorist organisation release 20 living hostages and return the bodies of four deceased ones, however, 24 bodies remain in Gaza. The focus in Israel has now shifted to when Hamas will return all the remains of those who died during their captivity.
In response to Israel’s announcement to restrict aid, Hamas informed mediators that they would hand over the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages at 10 p.m., as reported by Express US.
Despite some anticipated delays in the recovery process, the families of the hostages and their advocates have expressed disappointment that only four out of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. Provisions for such a scenario were included in last week’s agreement, obligating Hamas to provide information about any remaining deceased hostages and “exert maximum effort to ensure the fulfilment of these commitments as soon as possible.”
The recovery of the hostages’ bodies poses a major challenge. Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross have indicated that owing to the widespread destruction across Gaza, retrieving the remains could take a substantial period.
The deal also required that Israel must supply details about the bodies of Palestinians who perished whilst in Israeli detention.
“While hearts are filled with hope for the return of all the hostages, our hearts are saddened by the heavy price you paid and that you carry in your hearts. Pain and difficulty that a stranger will never understand. This is the moment to tell you that we do not forget you and your loved ones,” the letter reads.
“Thanks to the heavy price, we ultimately reached the end of the war and the return of all the hostages. For that, we thank you and appreciate you. Forever and ever. We will always remember and never forget,” it says.
This correspondence appears to mark the first formal declaration from the Prime Minister’s Office announcing that Israel has achieved “the end of the war.”
Although President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed the fighting has concluded, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not voiced similar views. The government has not yet voted to terminate the wartime status announced on October 7, 2023, following assaults on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.
These strikes led to the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 individuals, triggering a conflict.