Hamas handed over four more bodies of Israeli hostages on Tuesday evening, with the Red Cross confirming their transfer to Israeli forces. The development came as US President Donald Trump warned that Hamas must disarm “or we will disarm them”.
The Israeli military said four coffins of deceased hostages had been transferred into Red Cross custody and were on their way to IDF and security agency forces in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, the bodies of Yossi Sharabi, Daniel Peretz, Guy Iluz and Bipin Joshi were named by hostage groups and the Israeli military. Hamas had previously returned four other bodies on Monday, shortly after releasing the last 20 living captives.
Trump, speaking to reporters, said: “They said they were going to disarm, and if they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.” He added that this could happen “quickly and perhaps violently”. He had earlier declared that phase two of his ceasefire agreement for Gaza “begins right now”.
Meanwhile, three Israeli officials said the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt would remain closed through Wednesday, and the flow of aid into the enclave would be reduced, amid delays in the release of remains.
In other developments, Nasser al-Qudwa, a nephew of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, returned to the West Bank after four years of self-exile, proposing that Hamas transform into a political party. Doctors reported that some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released on Monday are suffering from health problems developed during years in Israeli detention. The EU’s diplomatic arm urged the bloc to join a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza, while the IMF said the ceasefire presents an opportunity for economic recovery.
