Israel has returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians, according to th the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The handover came after Hamas handed over two Israeli bodies. The first phase of the peace deal says Israel will return 15 Palestinian bodies for every Israeli body.
In total, Hamas had to return 20 living hostages and the bodies of another 28. The living hostages have been returned, as well as nine bodies – but Hamas says it needs special equipment to find the rest.
The full text of the ceasefire agreement has not been made public, but part of it has been published by Israeli media. The agreement appears to lack details and in some cases is vague and ambiguous – perhaps on purpose. There is demand that all hostages – alive and dead – should be freed within 72 hours of the partial Israeli withdrawal.
But the text concedes – although not explicitly – that Hamas is unlikely to be able to retrieve all bodies from deceased hostages within that timeframe, allowing the group to share the information it had gathered about those that could not be located.
The missing bodies have raised fears the ceasefire could collapse, but senior US advisers downplay the threat, saying Hamas intends to “honour” the deal.
Hamas says it can’t find the bodies of any more Israeli hostages, but in a call with reporters last night, senior US advisers downplayed that risk. The advisers said there was “understanding” to get all the live hostages, which Hamas did “honour”. We have a “mechanism in place”, and are working with mediators to get as many bodies “as possible” out, they explained. “We continue to hear from them that they intend to honour the deal,” an adviser said.
Meanwhile, Israel says “preparations are ongoing” for opening the Rafah crossing for people in Gaza, but aid will only enter through other checkpoints.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed today that his country will achieve all goals of the Gaza war it has set out to accomplish. Speaking after President Herzog, addressed the same memorial ceremony, he says that those who threaten Israel will pay a “heavy price”, and emphasises that the fight is not over yet. “Whoever lays a hand on us knows they will pay a very heavy price,” the Israeli premier says.
