TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages. The move came after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing remains over slower than agreed. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed late Tuesday that authorities received four deceased hostages that the Red Cross handed over to Israeli military authorities inside Gaza. The bodies will be taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine where they will be identified and the families notified. This latest transfer of remains comes a day after Israel received the bodies of four other dead hostages. Despite the development, it was unclear if the Israeli military agency known as COGAT will follow through with its decision to allow into Gaza only half of the 600 aid trucks called for under the deal. The United Nations’ humanitarian office in famine-stricken Gaza received word of the humanitarian aid cuts from the Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory, according to spokesperson Olga Cherevko. U.S. officials were also notified, according to three Associated Press sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory. Trump also warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.” A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israel’s release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire’s first phase. Families of hostages express dismay Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages is a challenge because of Gaza’s destruction, and Hamas told mediators of the deal that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. The U.S.-proposed ceasefire plan called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over within 72 hours, meaning on Monday. But it provided a mechanism if that didn’t happen, saying Hamas should share information about deceased hostages and “exert maximum effort” to carry out the handover as soon as possible. Families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. The Hostages Family Forum, representing many families, called it a “blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas.” The top official in Israel coordinating the return of hostages and the missing, Gal Hirsch, told the families in a note that pressure was being applied on Hamas through mediators to expedite the process. A copy of the note was seen by the AP and its authenticity was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the statement. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory. Trump also warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.” Israel confirms identities of returned hostages On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the identity of the four dead hostages returned on Monday: Guy Illouz from Israel, Bipin Joshi from Nepal, Cpt. Daniel Peretz and Yossi Sharabi. Illouz was abducted from a music festival, Joshi from a bomb shelter and Sharabi from Be’eri Kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war. Israel said Illouz died of his wounds without proper medical treatment, while Joshi was killed in the war’s first months. Families left waiting expressed concern. Ela Haimi said she didn’t know if the body of her husband, Tal, would be returned by Hamas in a few hours, days or ever. “I am afraid they will stop the return,” she said. Tal Haimi was killed while defending his kibbutz during the 2023 attack. Long journey to recovery The freed Israeli hostages were in medical care, and some families said it would be weeks before the men could go home. Dalia Cusnir-Horn said brother-in-law Eitan Horn had lost more than 40 per cent of his body weight after receiving very little food in the last few months. The physical toll was only part of the trauma, she said. “He’s just learning now friends he knew that were murdered, and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it’s overwhelming and it’s hard,” Cusnir-Horn said. Moshe Levi spoke of brother-in-law Omri Miran’s elation at playing with his young daughters - one less than a year old when her father was taken hostage. “He could feel like he’s a father again,” Levi said. Palestinian prisoners allege mistreatment In the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners and detainees were released, several were taken to hospitals. Murad Barakat, medical director of the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, said the facility received 14 men and discharged all but two. Doctors said their conditions suggested they “were subjected to severe beatings, reflecting the extent of the violence they endured,” said Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor at the hospital. Kamal Abu Shanab, who was released after more than 18 years, said beatings caused his shoulder to tear. “For eight months, I wasn’t given even a pill for the pain,” he said. AP could not independently verify the claims. Israel’s Prison Service said it was unaware of such claims. Nasser Hospital in Gaza said the Red Cross transferred the bodies of 45 Palestinians to its morgue. The bodies were the first of an expected 450 to arrive. Long-term challenges for lasting peace Difficult questions remain about Gaza’s future, including whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern and help rebuild the territory. Also unanswered is the question of Palestinian statehood. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 15 Palestinian technocrats have been selected to administer Gaza, with approval from Israel, Hamas and all other Palestinian factions. Palestinians in Gaza appealed for authorities to move quickly to restore some semblance of normality. “There is no infrastructure, electricity, water or anything that is fit for life,” said Mohamad Abu Hajras, one of the many displaced. On Tuesday, the UN development agency said the latest joint estimate with the European Union and the World Bank is that rebuilding Gaza will require $70 billion. Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. A number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods remain under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there. Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday said the bodies of three people killed by Israel’s military in the north were taken to Al Ahli hospital. The military said troops had “opened fire to remove the threat” of several people approaching them and not complying with orders to stop. It didn’t immediately comment on any casualties. The war has killed over 67,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead, and many independent experts say its figures are the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. By Sam Mednick And Giovanna Dell’orto. Dell’Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press journalists Matthew Lee in Washington; Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; and Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza, contributed to this report.
