Amid ongoing tensions surrounding humanitarian aid access, the handover of deceased hostages, and recent casualties near newly established Israeli military zones, Israel and Hamas have exchanged mutual allegations of ceasefire violations in Gaza.
Despite these claims, diplomats from the region and US officials have downplayed their impact, stressing that both Hamas and Israel appear to remain committed to the ceasefire agreement reached last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Thursday his resolve to secure the return of all hostage remains still held by Hamas in Gaza, emphasizing that the conflict “is far from over.”
During a memorial event honoring soldiers lost in the two-year conflict, Netanyahu declared that Israel would fulfill all its wartime objectives and warned adversaries that any aggression against the nation would incur severe consequences.
According to the ceasefire terms, Hamas has released the last 20 surviving hostages to Israel but has only returned nine out of 28 deceased captives, citing the need for specialized equipment to recover the remaining bodies from Gaza’s heavily damaged areas.
A glowing “Welcome back home” sign lights up Habima Square in Tel Aviv.
Israeli authorities dispute Hamas’s explanation, accusing the group of violating the ceasefire. However, US officials involved in overseeing the ceasefire’s implementation and the Red Cross acknowledge the immense challenges posed by the destruction in Gaza when attempting to recover remains.
A senior Hamas representative accused Israel of breaching the truce by killing at least 24 Palestinians since Friday, submitting a detailed list of violations to mediators. He claimed, “The occupying power is relentlessly working to sabotage the agreement through continuous breaches on the ground.”
The Israeli military has not issued an immediate response but has previously stated that some Palestinians disregarded warnings to stay away from Israeli ceasefire positions, prompting troops to open fire to neutralize perceived threats.
Palestinian health officials reported a civilian fatality from a drone strike near Khan Younis, a claim denied by an Israeli military spokesperson who stated no drone operations occurred in or near southern Gaza City on Thursday.
Israeli authorities also announced that the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, deemed vital by aid organizations for delivering sufficient humanitarian supplies, would not open as scheduled on Thursday but at a later, unspecified time.
Video: Humanitarian aid trucks queued at Gaza’s border crossing.
A spokesperson for Cogat, the Israeli defense ministry’s civil affairs division responsible for Palestinian territories, indicated that Rafah would likely remain closed for aid shipments in the foreseeable future, though individual crossings might be permitted.
“It is important to clarify that humanitarian aid will not transit through the Rafah crossing, as this was never part of any agreement,” the spokesperson stated, adding that aid continues to enter Gaza through alternative border points.
President Trump’s 20-point framework calls for comprehensive humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, where famine conditions were declared in some regions in August, alongside the return of all hostages, both living and deceased.
Aid workers in Gaza have condemned Israel’s restrictions on aid deliveries, viewing them as a form of “collective punishment” aimed at pressuring Hamas.
Regional insiders have conveyed to the Guardian that the initial days and weeks following the ceasefire are expected to be “fraught” and “uneasy,” with the delivery of aid and the repatriation of hostage remains among the most contentious issues. Many complex elements of Trump’s plan remain under negotiation.
Since the ceasefire took effect on Monday, brokered by the US president, Hamas has freed 20 surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees released from Israeli prisons, including 1,700 individuals taken from Gaza during the conflict without formal charges.
A senior US official explained to reporters on Wednesday that recovering bodies in Gaza is complicated due to the territory’s extensive destruction. Turkey, a key mediator in the ceasefire, is reportedly negotiating to send forensic experts to assist with body retrieval efforts.
The ceasefire also mandates Israel to return the remains of 360 Palestinians. The Gaza Health Ministry reported receiving 30 additional bodies on Thursday, bringing the total to 120 since last Friday. Medical staff at Nasser Hospital described the bodies as showing signs of torture and execution, including blindfolds, bound hands, and gunshot wounds to the head.
“Nearly all were blindfolded, restrained, and had gunshot wounds between the eyes. It appears that most were executed,” stated Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of the pediatric department at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
Food and fuel aid trucks escorted by a UN team cross through the Kerem Shalom border point on Wednesday.
President Trump has indicated he might authorize Israeli forces to resume military operations in Gaza if Hamas fails to comply with the ceasefire terms.
“Israel will return to those streets the moment I give the order. If they had the chance to strike hard, they would do so,” Trump told CNN in a brief phone interview on Wednesday when questioned about Hamas’s potential refusal to disarm.
Israeli politician Itamar Ben-Gvir inside the Knesset.
The two hostages whose bodies were returned by Hamas on Wednesday evening have been identified as Inbar Hayman and Mohammad al-Atrash.
Hayman, a 27-year-old graffiti artist from Haifa, was killed during the Nova music festival, with her remains taken to Gaza. Sgt. Maj. Atrash, a 39-year-old Bedouin soldier who died in combat on October 7, was also among those whose bodies were transferred to the Palestinian territory.
Analysts suggest that some of the stern rhetoric from Israeli officials is directed at political opponents within Israel, where elections are expected within the next year, possibly sooner.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister and a critic of the ceasefire, condemned the aid deliveries on social media as a “disgrace” and accused Hamas of deceit regarding the return of hostage remains.
Israel has also stated that the next phase of the truce requires Hamas to disarm and relinquish control, demands the group has so far rejected. In response, Hamas has intensified security measures, asserting its authority in Gaza through public executions and confrontations with local factions.
