The exchange of hostage and prisoner remains between Israel and Hamas continued on Tuesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to the militant group to disarm.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Hamas returned the remains of four more hostages to Israeli authorities. In a reciprocal move, Israel returned the remains of 45 Palestinians to Gaza. The ICRC stated these operations were “carried out in line with the ceasefire agreement.”
The return of the four remains comes a day after Hamas faced criticism for only returning four of the 28 deceased hostages stipulated in the Trump-brokered peace deal. Israel’s Ministry of Defense confirmed receiving the remains, which will undergo a forensic identification process before their families are notified. The remains of four hostages received Monday were identified as Guy Ilouz, Daniel Peretz, Yossi Sharabi, and Bipin Joshi. Twenty deceased hostages are reportedly still in Hamas custody.
Meanwhile, President Trump addressed the situation, stating, “Also, they said they were going to disarm.” When asked how he would ensure this, he warned, “If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them. They know I’m not playing games.”
The issue of the deceased hostages remains a potential flashpoint.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz previously warned Hamas that “Any delay or deliberate avoidance [of returning the bodies] will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly.” The exchanges follow a massive handover on Monday that saw 20 living hostages and some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed.
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