Israel is going to attack Hamas again, both are at loggerheads over handing over the bodies of the hostages

Hamas handed over the bodies of two more hostages to Israel late Wednesday night. This brings the total number of hostages Hamas has handed over to Israel to date to date to the tune of nine, but 19 are still pending. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that there will be no compromise on this issue, and there are fears that the ceasefire may be broken.

Hamas has stated that it will need time and specialized equipment to locate the remaining hostages. Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has asked his military commanders in Gaza to plan a fresh offensive.

Hamas handed over a total of 10 bodies
The impasse that has arisen in the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip has raised concerns about its future. Since Monday, Hamas has handed over a total of 10 bodies to Israel, but DNA testing has determined one of the bodies to be non-Israeli. Israel has so far handed over the bodies of 120 Palestinians to the Gaza administration.

According to the peace plan, Israel is to hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one hostage. The exchange of hostages, prisoners, and bodies between the two sides was to be completed in the first phase. Meanwhile, Hamas has stated that 24 people have been killed by Israeli military fire since the ceasefire came into effect on Friday afternoon, a violation of the ceasefire.

Israel Warns
While the Israeli military has asked Palestinians to stay away from Israeli military bases in Gaza. Israel has stated that the second phase of the peace plan requires Hamas to surrender its weapons and step down from power in the Gaza Strip, Hamas has not done either. On the contrary, Hamas fighters are killing Palestinians with dissenting opinions and attacking opposing armed groups.

After Hamas surrenders its arms and leaves power, international forces are to be deployed in Gaza, and a committee headed by President Trump will begin managing and rebuilding Gaza. The Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, has offered assistance in managing Gaza.

Rafah Crossing Closed, Food Shortage
The Rafah Crossing, connecting Gaza with Egypt, remains closed. It is the most convenient route for the supply of relief supplies to Gaza. The Israeli military has opened the crossing for essential pedestrian traffic, but vehicles are not permitted. Negotiations with the Egyptian government are ongoing, and a date for resuming vehicular traffic will be announced soon.

Relief supplies are arriving in Gaza through other routes, but they fall far short of demand. The United Nations has stated that famine still looms large in many parts of Gaza, and adequate food supplies must be delivered there immediately.