Israel demands all captives’ bodies, truce at risk

Israel’s demand that Hamas return the remains of all deceased captives has stoked fresh doubts over the Gaza ceasefire, with Defence Minister Israel Katz instructing the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas if the truce collapses.

Officials said Israel will not move to the next phase of the U.S.-brokered peace plan until Hamas delivers the bodies of all 28 captives who died in Gaza. To date, Israel says only a fraction have been returned.

Hamas handed over the remains of two more Israelis this week and said it has returned all bodies it can presently reach, adding that additional recoveries require specialised equipment to dig through extensive rubble.

Israeli authorities identified the two as Inbar Hayman and Master Sgt Mohammad al-Atrash.

Live updates from the truce period have also included allegations from a UN agency that Israeli forces continue to kill civilians in areas of Gaza where the army has redeployed under ceasefire arrangements—claims Israel rejects.

Casualty figures remain stark. Palestinian health officials report more than 67,000 people killed in Gaza since October 2023, a toll the UN treats as broadly credible though difficult to verify independently amid widespread destruction. Israel disputes the numbers.