Tensions between Israel and Hamas are mounting as Jerusalem accuses the militant group of committing a “fundamental breach” of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire by failing to return the remains of several Israeli hostages.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas was to release all 20 surviving hostages and repatriate the bodies of those confirmed dead. While all living captives have now been freed, Israeli officials say only nine bodies have been returned, leaving the families of 19 victims still awaiting closure.
Senior Israeli officials insist Hamas has the ability to immediately hand over additional remains, directly contradicting the group’s claim that extensive destruction across Gaza has hampered recovery efforts.
Frustration within the Israeli government has grown in recent days, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly advocating stronger measures to compel Hamas’s compliance. According to Israeli sources, Netanyahu’s stance has the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, a key architect of the current peace framework.
Meanwhile, a multinational recovery team including experts from the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar—has entered Gaza with specialized equipment to aid in the search for missing remains.
The fragile truce, already strained by mutual distrust, now faces its most serious test. Mediators, led by Egypt, are urging restraint to prevent a collapse of the ceasefire, warning that renewed hostilities could derail months of painstaking negotiations.
For Israel, however, the slow pace of the handover—and what officials describe as Hamas’s “deception” marks a direct violation of the deal’s core terms, leaving patience in Jerusalem rapidly wearing thin.
