Gaza – Washington – Tel Aviv – Zaytoun News
Axios reports that Israel has informed the U.S. administration that Hamas is not making sufficient efforts to recover the remaining bodies of hostages in the Gaza Strip, considering that the continuation of this situation hinders progress to the next phase of the ceasefire agreement.
According to the site, Israeli intelligence shared with Washington indicates that Hamas is capable of accessing a larger number of hostages’ bodies than it officially claims, which, from the Israeli perspective, suggests that the movement is either deliberately delaying or using the issue as leverage in negotiations.
This accusation comes after Hamas handed over two additional bodies of Israeli hostages to the Red Cross on Wednesday evening, which transferred the remains to the Israeli army within Gaza. This brings the total number of recovered bodies to eight, while Israel maintains that approximately 28 other bodies are still missing in the Strip.
In contrast, Hamas stated that it has handed over all living Israeli captives it held, in addition to the bodies it could access, noting that retrieving the remaining bodies requires “considerable effort and specialized equipment” due to the extensive destruction in Gaza.
Observers view Israel’s escalation on this issue as part of a political and media pressure campaign against Hamas, aimed at accelerating the implementation of the security provisions of the agreement and paving the way for post-war arrangements, while ensuring Washington stays fully informed of every field development to maintain political and diplomatic support.
At the same time, analysts say Israel is using the hostage bodies file to maintain moral and media pressure on Hamas, taking advantage of the sensitivity of the issue within Israeli society, where recovering bodies is considered a national concern that transcends political divisions.
With unofficial negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza agreement ongoing, it appears that the issue of hostages both living and deceased will remain a key bargaining chip in the complex negotiations between the two sides, amid the absence of any guarantees for tangible progress in the near future.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz issued orders for the army to prepare a comprehensive plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza if hostilities resume, amid Israeli frustration over the slow return of deceased hostages’ remains.
Israel has received, via the Red Cross, two coffins of deceased Israeli hostages, which were delivered to the Israeli army and the Shin Bet within Gaza, according to Netanyahu’s office.
The two bodies are scheduled to be transferred to Israel, where military and religious ceremonies will be held. Following that, they will be taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Health, with the families being officially notified once identity verification is completed.
Katz’s threat on Wednesday to resume fighting if Hamas does not comply with the ceasefire conditions came after Hamas indicated that accessing the remaining bodies requires “special equipment.”
U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Hamas is searching for additional hostages, digging through rubble and tunnels to locate more bodies.
Trump added that the U.S. demands disarmament from Hamas in the second phase of the agreement, noting that the movement has agreed, and if not, Washington will intervene directly.
The president emphasized that there is no reason for the U.S. military to deploy inside Gaza.
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