DZWatch – Tensions are rising around the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza, with the United States pressing Hamas to expedite the return of the remains of Israeli captives and Israel voicing strong opposition to Turkish involvement in any future security force for the region. These developments come as search operations continue within Gaza to locate the bodies of those Israelis believed to have died during the recent conflict.
Conflicting signals emerged from Washington regarding the urgency of the situation. An unnamed US official downplayed earlier remarks by President Donald Trump, who had reportedly given Hamas a 48-hour deadline to return the remains. According to Israel’s Channel 12, the official clarified that Trump’s statement was not a definitive ultimatum. However, other US figures, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, maintained pressure on Hamas. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Rubio urged the group to accelerate the handover process.
The Forum of Families of Captives in Gaza has added to the pressure, calling on the Israeli government, the US administration, and mediators to postpone the next phase of the ceasefire agreement until Hamas fulfills all its obligations and returns all remaining captives’ remains to Israel. In a statement, the Forum asserted that Hamas knows the precise location of each deceased captive. They highlighted that two weeks had passed since the agreed-upon deadline for the return of all 48 captives, yet 13 remain unaccounted for.
Rubio also addressed allegations that Israel had violated the ceasefire, stating that Tel Aviv had not relinquished its right to self-defense and that both sides had obligations under the agreement. He emphasized the need for Hamas to fulfill its commitments.
On the ground, Israel announced that it had granted permission for a joint team, including representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Egyptian paramedics, and a member of Hamas, to participate in the search for remains within Gaza. Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Badursian told reporters that the team was authorized to enter areas beyond the “yellow line” demarcating the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) positions in Gaza. The search operations are being conducted under the close supervision of the IDF to ensure the accurate location of the bodies.
In a related development, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the ICRC had handed over the body of one captive from Gaza to the IDF on Monday. If the identity of the deceased is confirmed, the number of remains still in Gaza would be reduced to 12.
A senior source within the Palestinian resistance movement told Al Jazeera that Hamas and other factions are making intensive efforts to complete the retrieval of the Israeli captives’ remains as soon as possible. The source cited a lack of resources and necessary equipment as the primary obstacle to completing the operation. He suggested that a significant number of bodies could be recovered if the required machinery and resources were available.
Previously, Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, stated that the group was facing difficulties in locating the remains because Israeli military operations had significantly altered the landscape of Gaza. He also noted that some individuals who had originally buried the bodies had either been killed or no longer remember the precise locations.
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Despite these challenges, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told Channel 12 that Israel’s patience was waning and that it had begun exploring alternative courses of action in the event that the remains are not returned. The report indicated that Israel and Hamas had exchanged intelligence information through mediators regarding potential locations of the captives’ bodies, leading to the Egyptian team’s deployment to Gaza to assist in the search.
Meanwhile, heavy machinery has been deployed for the first time in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City to clear rubble from destroyed buildings, under the supervision of teams from the ICRC. The retrieval and handover of the captives’ remains in Gaza remains a key obstacle to President Trump’s broader plan for the region.
The next phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza has not yet been scheduled, but the US administration is reportedly pushing for the establishment of an international security force, composed of troops from Arab and Islamic countries, to monitor the situation. Israel has expressed strong opposition to Turkish participation in this proposed force. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that Turkey has adopted a hostile approach towards Israel, encompassing not only statements but also diplomatic and economic measures. Saar argued that it would be illogical to allow Turkish armed forces to enter the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that Israel would not accept such a scenario and had communicated this position to the US administration.
The United States and its allies have announced the establishment of a Civil-Military Coordination Center to support stability in Gaza. The Trump administration has also dispatched a number of senior officials to solidify the ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the truce, Israel withdrew its forces inside Gaza to the “yellow line,” but continues to control more than half of the territory and oversees all UN aid convoys entering the border.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday that the state of emergency had been lifted in southern towns near the Gaza Strip for the first time since October 7, 2023.
The Hamas-Israel agreement, brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, came into effect on October 10th, following two years of conflict in the Gaza Strip. Under the agreement, Hamas released 20 living captives and handed over the remains of 15 captives out of 28 previously declared dead by Israel. The group has affirmed its commitment to handing over the bodies of the remaining 13 captives in Gaza: 10 Israelis captured on October 7, 2023, one Israeli missing since 2014, and a Thai national.
