Hamas has revealed it has returned the bodies of two more Israeli hostages as part of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, but the group claims it needs more time and specialized equipment to recover the rest of the deceased from the rubble-strewn ruins of Gaza.
The armed wing of Hamas said in a statement that while it was committed to the deal, it had only been able to return the bodies of the hostages it could reach, reported BBC News.
Trump warns Israel could resume fighting if Hamas fails to uphold agreement
US President Donald Trump has warned that Israeli forces could reignite the conflict in Gaza if Hamas fails to stick to the terms of the agreement.
Israel’s PM’s office confirmed that it had received coffins containing the bodies of hostages through the Red Cross, which are now awaiting official identification.
The statement said: “The IDF urges the public to act with sensitivity and wait for official identification, which will first be communicated to the families of the deceased hostages.”
19 hostages still unaccounted for in Gaza
If the two bodies returned on Wednesday night are confirmed as hostages, it would mean that 19 are still missing in Gaza. Under the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obliged to return all 28 dead hostages.
However, Hamas’s armed wing claimed in a statement that “the remaining bodies require significant efforts and specialised equipment to search for and retrieve, and we are making a great effort to close this file”.
Israel vows not to compromise on hostage returns
Earlier, Israel declared it would “not compromise” on the return of hostages, insisting that “the mission is not complete”.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said he had instructed the IDF to draw up a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas in Gaza if the war resumes.
After meeting with top generals on Wednesday, Katz said the military must be ready to act if Hamas refuses to implement the peace plan.
UN chief urges Israel to open Gaza crossings for aid
On Wednesday, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher called on Israel to immediately open all crossings into Gaza for humanitarian aid, as stipulated in the ceasefire plan.
In an X post, Fletcher said Hamas must “make strenuous efforts to return all the bodies of the deceased hostages”.
He added: “As Israel has agreed, they must allow the massive surge of humanitarian aid – thousands of trucks a week – on which so many lives depend, and on which the world has insisted.”
Gazans fear ceasefire won’t last as food prices surge
Meanwhile, residents in Gaza report growing concerns about the durability of the ceasefire, with food prices surging as Palestinians stockpile supplies.
Traders and suppliers in the enclave have been hoarding food items to create shortages and drive up profits, fearing that the war could resume, local residents told the BBC.
Neven Al-Mughrabi, a displaced mother-of-six from Gaza City now living in Khan Younis, said: “Every time we start to feel safe, new threats appear, and we fear the war will start all over again.”
She added that a trader in Khan Younis’s main market said demand for flour, oil, and sugar had surged within hours. “Despite the sudden rise of prices by about 30%, people are buying as if they don’t trust the calm will last long, everyone is afraid aid will stop,” Neven says.