Hamas Delays Return of Israeli Hostage Remains, Leaving 21 Unaccounted For.
In a move that has sparked concerns over the pace of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, Hamas said on Wednesday it had handed over all Israeli hostage remains it could recover. The news comes as the international community urges patience and cooperation to resolve outstanding issues.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Hamas returned only four bodies by the initial deadline last week, despite agreeing to hand over 20 living hostages at the same time. Two additional coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages were handed over on Wednesday night, bringing the total number of confirmed remainders to seven since the peace deal took effect.
However, an eighth body is still being held for identification, leaving a minimum of 13 people unaccounted for. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that extensive efforts and specialized equipment are required to locate the remaining bodies due to the extreme level of destruction in Gaza.
The US has expressed concern over the delay, but senior officials say they believe nobody is being left behind, citing difficulties in retrieving remains buried under rubble across the Palestinian territory. The US is also sharing Israeli intelligence with Hamas to assist in finding the missing remainders.
Turkey has offered to help by sending expert teams with experience rescuing people from earthquakes, and the Israel Defense Minister has said that any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement.
The issue of disarming Hamas remains a major point of contention. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the need for demilitarization and disarmament, Hamas has rejected calls to surrender its arms.
Netanyahu expressed concern over Trump's recent warning that if Hamas does not disarm, "we will disarm them," and added that he hoped it wouldn't come to that, saying "all hell breaks loose."
In a move that has sparked concerns over the pace of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, Hamas said on Wednesday it had handed over all Israeli hostage remains it could recover. The news comes as the international community urges patience and cooperation to resolve outstanding issues.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Hamas returned only four bodies by the initial deadline last week, despite agreeing to hand over 20 living hostages at the same time. Two additional coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages were handed over on Wednesday night, bringing the total number of confirmed remainders to seven since the peace deal took effect.
However, an eighth body is still being held for identification, leaving a minimum of 13 people unaccounted for. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that extensive efforts and specialized equipment are required to locate the remaining bodies due to the extreme level of destruction in Gaza.
The US has expressed concern over the delay, but senior officials say they believe nobody is being left behind, citing difficulties in retrieving remains buried under rubble across the Palestinian territory. The US is also sharing Israeli intelligence with Hamas to assist in finding the missing remainders.
Turkey has offered to help by sending expert teams with experience rescuing people from earthquakes, and the Israel Defense Minister has said that any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement.
The issue of disarming Hamas remains a major point of contention. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the need for demilitarization and disarmament, Hamas has rejected calls to surrender its arms.
Netanyahu expressed concern over Trump's recent warning that if Hamas does not disarm, "we will disarm them," and added that he hoped it wouldn't come to that, saying "all hell breaks loose."