Israeli families of hostages confirmed the identities of three of the four bodies returned by Hamas in Gaza on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Tamir Nimrodi, 20; Eitan Levy, 53; and Uriel Baruch, 35. Efforts to identify the fourth body are ongoing. This marks the return of seven confirmed hostages’ bodies from Gaza, with Hamas yet to fulfill commitments to return the remaining bodies as per a ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S.
In response to delays in the recovery of all 28 hostages’ remains, Israeli authorities have threatened to tighten humanitarian aid provisions. Hamas claims it is struggling to locate the remaining body parts. Meanwhile, there are reports that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt is set to open for the movement of Palestinians, but not for humanitarian aid. An Israeli official confirmed that no agreements had been made to facilitate aid through this crossing.
Israeli Defense Minister has stated that any further delays by Hamas could be seen as a serious breach of the agreement. In conjunction with these developments, it is expected that four more hostages’ bodies will be transferred from Gaza soon. The release of all 20 living hostages occurred on Monday, and the Red Cross confirmed the return of 45 dead Palestinians held in Israel.
The ceasefire plan, endorsed by both Israel and Hamas, stipulated that the handover of all 48 hostages should be completed by noon Monday. However, delays in returning the bodies have raised concerns over the stability of the ceasefire. An Israeli official suggested an international task force may be established to assist in locating those remains not yet returned.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed a cautious optimism for ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing the need for Hamas to demilitarize as a condition for any progress. U.S. President Trump corroborated this stance, underscoring that disarmament of Hamas is non-negotiable. Amid the ceasefire, recent incidents in Gaza have resulted in additional fatalities, raising further questions about the ongoing tensions and future negotiations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ced60125zyqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss