Israel Cuts Gaza Aid in Clash Over Hostage Remains

Israel is pressuring Hamas to return the remains of hostages still believed to be in Gaza, but the widespread devastation in the territory is making the process difficult. Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was supposed to immediately return all remaining bodies, but on Monday, only four of the 28 dead hostages were handed over, far fewer than expected, the New York Times reports. On Tuesday, Israel declined to open the Rafah border crossing, as required by the ceasefire deal, and said the amount of aid being allowed into Gaza would be halved, reports the Times of Israel. The Israeli military said another four bodies were returned later Tuesday.

• "ALL TWENTY HOSTAGES ARE BACK AND FEELING AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED. A big burden has been lifted, but the job IS NOT DONE," President Trump said in a Truth Social post Tuesday. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED! Phase Two begins right NOW!!!"

United Nations spokesperson Olga Cherevko said Israel has confirmed that there will be a reduction in aid deliveries, the BBC reports. "We continue to encourage the parties to adhere to the agreements that have been set out in the ceasefire parameters," she said. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Hamas is not meeting its obligations but did not threaten renewed military action, suggesting the ceasefire could hold for now. Hamas maintains it is committed to the agreement but cites the destruction in Gaza as a major obstacle to quickly locating and retrieving all the bodies.

Large swaths of Gaza have been reduced to rubble after years of Israeli strikes, complicating recovery efforts The ceasefire deal includes a provision for a joint task force with international mediators to help locate the remains if Hamas cannot do so on its own. Officials say Hamas will likely have to coordinate with other factions, clear rubble, and search collapsed tunnels to find the remaining bodies. Israel, for its part, has begun releasing the bodies of deceased Palestinian prisoners as required by the agreement, delivering 45 to a hospital in Khan Younis, though without providing identification. Hospital officials say the bodies arrived with only assigned numbers.