Gaza– Hamas has transferred more bodies of deceased Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, a limited sign of progress in the fragile ceasefire deal, which came after Israel announced a punitive cut to humanitarian aid for Gaza.
The handover of four additional coffins late on Monday—following an initial four—brings the total number of deceased hostages returned to eight. This followed an Israeli announcement that it would halve the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into Gaza, punishing Hamas for what it called a violation of the ceasefire agreement to transfer remains promptly. With at least 19 presumed dead hostages still in Gaza, it remains unclear if the latest transfer will be enough for Israel to reverse the aid restriction, which threatens to worsen the severe famine affecting more than half a million Palestinians.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire, with the two-year Israeli assault having left much of the enclave in ruins, necessitating a daily entry of 600 aid trucks as stipulated by the ceasefire deal.
Fragile Peace and Re-emergent Hamas Control
The wider outlook for the U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, touted as the “historic dawn of a new Middle East” just days ago, has also darkened. President Trump issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas, threatening military strikes unless the militant group disarmed. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” Mr. Trump stated.
However, Hamas, which rejected the demand to surrender its weapons, has swiftly reasserted control in Gaza’s urban areas following a partial Israeli troop withdrawal last week. Gaza residents reported seeing re-emergent Hamas fighters deploying security forces and manning routes for aid deliveries. Disturbingly, a video surfaced showing Hamas fighters executing seven people in Gaza City whom they accused of collaborating with Israel, a move confirmed by a Hamas source.
The return of the final 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees marked the first phase of the deal. The ongoing issue of the 28 deceased hostages—of which 8 have now been returned—remains a critical point in the agreement to end over two years of hostilities that began with the October 7, 2023, attacks.
