United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Israeli forces could return to combat in Gaza if Hamas does not meet the terms of the truce. Speaking to CNN, Trump said, “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the cr*p out of them, they’d do that.”
He said, "what’s going on with Hamas -- that’ll be straightened out quickly", adding that he “had to hold back” its forces.
Israel’s defence minister also issued a warning, echoing the stance from Washington. A statement from Israel Katz’s office said, “If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas, to change the reality in Gaza and achieve all the objectives of the war.”
Trump also warned Hamas to give up its weapons, telling reporters earlier, “If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently.” He insisted Hamas must hand over the remains of Israelis held in Gaza, saying that “Getting those 20 hostages out was paramount.”
Meanwhile, Hamas said it had already released all remains of Israeli hostages that it could access. The Red Cross confirmed receiving two additional coffins on Wednesday. According to the Palestinian group, specialists and heavy machinery would be needed to reach further bodies under the rubble.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said on social media, “As for the remaining corpses, it requires extensive efforts and special equipment for their retrieval and extraction. We are exerting great effort in order to close this file.”
Israeli officials disputed some of the returned remains, saying one of the bodies previously transferred by Hamas was not a hostage. So far, Hamas has handed over the remains of nine of the 28 deceased captives.
Under the ceasefire arrangement brokered by Trump, 20 living hostages have already gone back to Israel, while nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails.
However, Hamas’s armed wing insisted that “The Resistance has fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access.”
Pressure has been mounting inside Israel over the issue of aid and hostage remains. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has said he might cut off aid to Gaza if the bodies of Israeli soldiers are not returned.
Separately, Israel transferred 45 Palestinian bodies to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. This was part of the agreement that calls for the return of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli hostage.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher urged Israel to allow immediate aid deliveries into Gaza. “It should happen now. We want it to happen immediately as part of this agreement,” he said.
Reports suggested the Rafah border crossing might reopen, but by Wednesday, it remained shut. Fletcher said the priority was ensuring “children fed,” “anaesthetics in the hospitals,” and “tents over people's heads.”
Despite the ceasefire, violence continued in parts of Gaza. The local civil defence agency said three Palestinians were shot by Israeli fire in Gaza City.
The Israeli military said “several suspects were identified crossing the yellow line and approaching” troops in northern Gaza, calling it a violation of the truce. According to the military, “troops removed the threat by striking the suspects.”
The conflict, which began after Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, has left Gaza in severe humanitarian crisis. Aid was heavily restricted for months, and the United Nations declared a famine in August -- though Israel rejected that declaration.
Another key demand in Trump’s 20-point Gaza proposal is the disarmament of Hamas, something the group has refused. The United States and Israel both say Hamas cannot be part of any future administration in Gaza, even as the group strengthens control over devastated areas.
With inputs from AFP
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