After Israel warned it would reduce aid supplies to Gaza, the militant group Hamas returned the bodies of four deceased hostages on Tuesday, seeking to ease tensions surrounding a tenuous ceasefire. This move comes amid threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who indicated that violent repercussions could follow if Hamas does not disarm, as reported by Reuters.
Hamas’s announcement to hand over the four bodies came after the Israeli military stated it would halve aid deliveries due to concerns that the group was not promptly returning the remains as per the initial agreement made during the recently brokered 20-point Gaza peace plan in Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Red Cross had received the bodies, which were subsequently transferred to the Israeli military. The bodies are now set to be sent to the National Center for Forensic Medicine for identification, after which the families will be informed.
This latest transfer follows just a day after Israel received four additional bodies. To date, Hamas has returned eight bodies of deceased hostages; however, it remains uncertain whether the Israeli authorities will allow the remaining half of the 600 aid trucks agreed upon in the ceasefire negotiations.
On the same day, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and killing individuals in Gaza. In response, Israel claimed it fired upon “suspects” approaching its forces in northern Gaza, describing this action as necessary to eliminate a threat. Health officials in Gaza reported the deaths of six people in this incident.
Earlier, Trump remarked that Hamas appeared to be neglecting its obligation to fully return all dead hostages as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, further escalating his rhetoric. “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he stated during a press conference in Washington after returning from the Middle East.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/hamas-hands-over-more-hostage-bodies-israel-threatens-aid-cut-trump-warns-hamas-disarm-10307510/
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Publish Date: 2025-10-15 05:16:00
