Israel warns Hamas to hand over remains of captives or face renewed Gaza war amid rising tensions and civilian deaths.
Tensions in the Gaza ceasefire talks are rising as Israel demands the return of all captives’ bodies before advancing to the next phase of its peace plan.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has directed the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas should the fragile truce collapse. The warning comes after Hamas handed over the remains of two more Israeli captives, admitting that it still needs specialised equipment and assistance to locate bodies buried beneath Gaza’s rubble.
According to Israeli officials, 28 captives’ remains are still unreturned. Israel insists that no further progress will be made in ceasefire negotiations until all bodies are recovered.
Meanwhile, a United Nations agency has accused Israeli forces of continuing to kill civilians in parts of Gaza where troops have recently redeployed under the terms of the ceasefire. The allegations have further strained diplomatic efforts to sustain peace.
Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has claimed at least 67,938 lives and left more than 170,000 wounded. In Israel, 1,139 people were killed during the October 7 attacks, when around 200 individuals were taken captive by Hamas militants.
With mutual distrust growing and humanitarian conditions worsening, the fate of the Gaza ceasefire remains uncertain — and the region stands on edge, waiting to see whether diplomacy or destruction will define the next chapter.