Hamas has handed over more bodies of deceased Israeli hostages to Israel, deepening tensions as Israel announced major cuts to humanitarian aid to Gaza. According to the Israeli military, four coffins were received from the Red Cross at a northern Gaza meeting point and taken to Israel for forensic identification. Hamas confirmed the transfer, saying it was part of the ongoing agreement aimed at ending the two-year-long conflict.
So far, Hamas has returned eight coffins, with 19 hostages still presumed dead and one unaccounted for in Gaza. Earlier this week, Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, marking one of the largest exchanges since the war began.
Following the latest handover, Israel announced it would halve the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza. The government accused Hamas of violating ceasefire terms and failing to uphold commitments. Gaza, already suffering from two years of conflict, faces worsening famine conditions as aid deliveries slow. Officials warned that cutting deliveries from over 600 trucks per day to half that number could worsen the already dire food crisis, with more than half a million Palestinians facing severe hunger.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Hamas to disarm or face potential U.S. military action. Speaking from the White House, Trump said, “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them, quickly and perhaps violently.” His remarks followed his recent address to Israel’s parliament, where he urged both sides to maintain the fragile ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Hamas forces have reappeared in Gaza, reasserting control over key areas. Witnesses reported that Hamas executed several alleged Israeli collaborators in public, while local security sources confirmed ongoing clashes between Hamas and rival Palestinian groups.
Despite the truce, Gaza’s health ministry reported continued Israeli airstrikes, killing at least six people on Tuesday. Both sides accused each other of violating the ceasefire terms.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. Officials say more than 67,000 Palestinians have died since 2023, and thousands remain missing under the rubble. Rescue teams continue to recover bodies daily. Plans to reopen the Rafah crossing into Egypt for medical evacuations are still pending, while aid agencies warn that the shortages of food, water, and medicine are reaching critical levels.
The ceasefire, though still in effect, remains fragile as both sides continue to trade accusations and tensions rise over aid restrictions and hostage negotiations.
