Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a meeting Thursday to decide whether Israel will continue implementing its agreement with Hamas, after what officials describe as apparent violations by the terrorist group.
Hamas has claimed it cannot return additional bodies of Israeli hostages without special logistical efforts. Israeli authorities reject that explanation, saying it does not reflect the reality — at least regarding some of the remains. The disagreement is now at the center of discussions with international mediators.
Officials in Jerusalem acknowledge the deal faces serious difficulties but say Israel is not abandoning it and has not imposed sanctions. For now, the focus remains on quiet diplomatic efforts led by the United States, with Qatar, Egypt and Turkey also involved.
Israel has presented Washington with intelligence it says shows Hamas is not telling the truth. Behind the scenes, the United States is pressing Hamas to comply, alongside efforts by the regional mediators. Israeli officials expect Egyptian and Turkish teams, using coordinates Israel plans to provide, will be able to locate remains in areas where Israel believes hostages were buried.
Meanwhile, preparations continue for a possible reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, mainly logistical. No decision has been made to open the crossing, and no decision has been taken to keep it closed. Humanitarian aid continues to enter Gaza without restriction, as Israel has not yet imposed punitive measures on Hamas. However, officials warn that if the situation continues, sanctions may become unavoidable.
Nineteen bodies of Israeli hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would consider allowing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume military operations in Gaza if Hamas fails to comply with the current ceasefire agreement, telling CNN that Israeli forces could return to action “as soon as I say the word.”
“What’s going on with Hamas — that’ll be straightened out quickly,” Trump said in a brief phone interview, adding that Israel had the capacity to “knock the crap [out] of them” if necessary. “I had to hold them back,” he said of the Israeli government. “I had it out with Bibi,” he added, using the Israeli leader’s nickname.
At the same time, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he had instructed the IDF to prepare a comprehensive plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza should fighting resume. Katz issued the order during a meeting with Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and other senior military officers.
“As part of the Trump plan, Hamas must return all deceased hostages in its possession and disarm, while Israel — together with the international force led by the United States — will act to destroy all tunnels and terrorist infrastructure in Gaza to ensure the territory is demilitarized of any threat to the State of Israel,” Katz’s office said.
While Israel waits for the return of all 19 bodies still believed to be in Gaza, a senior U.S. adviser told Reuters overnight that a reward program is being developed to encourage Gazans to help locate the remains of hostages. “No one will be left behind. We are doing our best to bring back as many as possible,” the adviser said.
“Apparently, a program will be established offering rewards to Gaza residents to incentivize them to provide information they may have about locations of remains,” the adviser said. Two other senior U.S. advisers said the effort to locate additional remains has proven “harder than anticipated,” requiring patience because the bodies are believed to be buried under rubble and unexploded ordnance. Still, one of the advisers added, “Hamas has promised it will do everything it can to locate and return them.”