Red Cross En Route to Receive Hostage Remains in Gaza; Trump Sees No Threat to Ceasefire

The Israeli Army stated that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is on its way to an area in central Gaza to transport the remains of two hostages, as Hamas announced it would hand them over on Thursday evening.

Handover of Remains and Ceasefire Tensions

• Announcement and Delivery: The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced they would deliver the bodies of two Israeli hostages at 4 PM Gaza time, as part of the "Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal."

• Ceasefire Agreement: Under the deal, Hamas released all living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees. Hamas also agreed to hand over the bodies of all deceased hostages but stated that locating and recovering them would take time, claiming a lack of necessary equipment to remove rubble.

• Mutual Accusations: Israel accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire by stalling the delivery of the bodies.

Obstruction of Turkish Mission and Netanyahu’s Anger

• Waiting for Israeli Approval: Turkey announced Thursday that the aid team it sent to participate in searching for Israeli and Palestinian bodies under the rubble in Gaza is still waiting for the green light from Israel to cross from Egyptian Rafah into the Strip.

• Turkish Accusation: A source in the Turkish Defense Ministry accused Israel of "not respecting all terms of the ceasefire" and only partially allowing humanitarian aid, affirming that Turkey is ready to participate in an international force in Gaza.

• Netanyahu's Opposition: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stressed his right to reject any country’s participation in the proposed international force, specifically mentioning his opposition to Turkey due to its close ties with Hamas.

Return of Airstrikes and Humanitarian Situation

• Targeting 'Weapons Depot': On Wednesday evening, Israel bombed what it called a "weapons depot" in northern Gaza, hours after the Army confirmed the resumption of the ceasefire following a night of raids that killed over 100 people, according to civil defense (the highest toll since the US-brokered ceasefire began).

• Horrific Testimonies: Residents described the strikes as making them feel "as if the war had started again," while the entire Abu Dalal family was killed in an airstrike in the Nuseirat camp.

Trump’s Stance and Qatari Mediation

• Trump Minimizes Risk: Despite the bombing, US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire is "not at risk."

• Trump's Justification for Israeli Response: Trump explained that the Israelis "responded as they should have" after an Israeli soldier was killed in Gaza, noting that Hamas is "a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave."

• Qatari Disappointment: Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the attack on the Israeli soldier and the subsequent Israeli airstrikes as "very disappointing and frustrating for us."