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10h ago

Ceasefire Strained as Israel Cuts Aid and Presses for Hostage Remains

U.S. advisers say many bodies are buried under rubble, making recoveries a slow test of whether the truce endures.

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Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing wait to cross into the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday.
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Overview

  • Hamas returned 20 living hostages under the U.S.-brokered deal, but Israel says only nine of an estimated 28 bodies have been delivered, with one misidentified case confirmed.
  • Israel halved the agreed daily aid truck entries and delayed reopening the Rafah crossing, citing Hamas’s failure to hand over more remains.
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to secure all remains, and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to prepare plans to resume operations if terms on remains and disarmament are not met.
  • Hamas says it has transferred all remains it can access and needs specialized equipment to recover more, a difficulty two senior U.S. advisers also cited given Gaza’s widespread destruction.
  • Phase-two steps—Hamas disarmament, deployment of monitors and a stabilization force, and governance arrangements—remain on hold as Hamas reasserts control in vacated areas, while the Palestinian Authority says it is ready to operate Rafah with EU assistance.