So far, it is confirmed that seven bodies of hostages have been returned from Gaza out of the 28 deceased believed to have remained in the enclave.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” added the Israeli army.
Hamas did not immediately comment on Israel’s statements.
Hamas and the Red Cross said recovering the slain hostages was a challenge due to widespread destruction in Gaza – a fact that was recognized during ceasefire and hostage and prisoner exchange negotiations.
On Sunday, an Israeli military official said that if all the hostages’ bodies were not handed over by Monday’s deadline, a special force designated to recover the bodies would be created and would take steps to recover them.
The news came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hamas must disarm or face further military action amid reports of violence on the streets of Gaza, while confusion persists over whether the amount of aid agreed by Israel will reach the enclave.
“We agreed to give peace a chance,” Netanyahu told CBS News on Tuesday.
“First, Hamas must lay down its arms,” he added. “And secondly, you want to make sure that there are no weapons factories inside Gaza. There is no smuggling of weapons into Gaza. That’s demilitarization.”
President Donald Trump, whose plan called for the disarmament of Hamas, echoed Netanyahu’s position on Tuesday.
“They’re going to disarm, because they said they would, and if they don’t disarm, we’ll disarm them,” Trump told reporters during a meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei.
“And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,” he said. “But they will disarm.”
Netanyahu said he had heard Trump’s remarks, paraphrasing them as “all hell breaks loose,” before adding that he hoped it was not necessary.
Inside Gaza, Hamas appeared to tighten its control over the enclave, as the group’s internal security organization urged residents to report “wanted individuals,” including Israel’s “collaborators.”
Video obtained by Reuters appears to show masked gunmen executing several men on a street in Gaza City.
At least six people, with their shirts pulled over their heads, were forced to their knees before being shot. Another video obtained by Reuters appears to show armed Hamas members patrolling the city’s streets.
The slow pace of releasing the hostages has also raised concerns that Israel could restrict humanitarian aid until the hostages’ remains are returned.
The UN said on Tuesday it had received a letter from COGAT, the liaison body between the Israeli army and the Palestinians, informing it that it would cut its aid amount in half due to the slow release of the hostages’ remains.
Uncertainty already surrounds the scale of aid flowing into Gaza.
At least 600 trucks operated by the United Nations, international organizations, the private sector and donor countries were supposed to enter Gaza daily under the ceasefire agreement, an Israeli security official told NBC News on Saturday.
But confusion persists over the actual flow of supplies and the accuracy of the reported figures.
The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said 817 trucks entered Gaza on Sunday, citing data provided by COGAT.
The UN has not independently verified the figures and COGAT did not respond to a request for further information on the aid.
Meanwhile, the crossings were closed on Monday due to the latest hostage release and again on Tuesday due to an Israeli public holiday, according to World Food Program spokesman Abeer Etefa, who said the “intensification phase” of flooding Gaza with aid had not yet been reached.
Asked if Wednesday’s deliveries would return to the levels announced Sunday, OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko told NBC News: “We hope so.” »
