The ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas is already facing tests as the slower-than-hoped return of dead hostages from Gaza prompted some Israelis to declare a ‘violation’ of the truce agreement.
A day after signing the peace deal,Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that if Hamas don’t disarm,‘we will disarm them’.
‘And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,’ he added.
Axios has since reported that Hamas reportedly said they would give up heavy weapons,mainly rockets and missiles,but want to keep their guns for self defence.
Just yesterday,the US president bragged about how the deal would bring an end to ‘3,000 years’ of conflict in the region.
Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid supplies arrive Gaza through the Kissufim Border Crossing (Picture: Getty)
Attention has turned to Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt after Hamas handed over more bodies of deceased hostages.
Israel said it will allow the Rafah crossing to open today and increase the amount of humanitarian aid coming into the enclave,public broadcaster Kan reported.
Some 600 trucks carrying mainly food and medical supplies,as well as equipment needed for repairing damaged infrastructure,will be allowed in,it is understood.
Subject to Israel’s security approval,Gazans who had fled during the war will be allowed back in for the first time and others will be allowed to cross out through the Rafah crossing.
But there was no immediate comment from Israeli or Palestinian officials.
While Israeli officials had understood there could be some delay in the recovery effort,the families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday.
The remaining members of Hamas have been handing over the hostages (Picture: Getty)
In Gaza,the health ministry said that the bodies of three people killed by the Israeli military in the northern part of the territory were taken to Al Ahli hospital.
The Israeli military said troops there had ‘opened fire to remove the threat’ of several people approaching them and not complying with orders to stop,but they too have been accused of breaking the ceasefire.
Under the ceasefire deal,Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August,before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City.
The pullback leaves a number of hard-hit Palestinian areas under Israeli control,and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there.
Trucks loaded with humanitarian aid on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing wait to get into the Gaza Strip early on October 15 (Picture: Getty)
Complex issues remain ahead in the first phase of the ceasefire deal brokered by Trump.
Follow us to receive the latest news updates from Metro (Picture: Getty Images)Metro’s on Whatsapp! Join our community for breaking news and juicy stories.On Tuesday,the Israeli military identified two of the four dead hostages – Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi,a student from Nepal.A third dead hostage,Yossi Sharabi,was identified by Be’er Kibbutz,from where he was taken.Mr Illouz and Mr Joshi were both in their 20s when Hamas-led militants took them during the October 7,2023,attack on that ignited the war – Mr Illouz from the Nova music festival and Mr Joshi from Israel’s Kibbutz Alumim.Israel said Mr Illouz died of his wounds while being held captive without proper medical treatment,while Mr Joshi was murdered in captivity in the first months of the war.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is cautioning that finding and returning the remains of former hostages in Gaza is ‘an even bigger challenge’ than freeing those who were still alive.
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