Israel delivers Palestinian bodies, accuses Hamas of "breaching the agreement"

Agence France-Presse reported that Israel delivered 45 bodies of Palestinians killed during the war to health authorities in the Gaza Strip. This is part of an exchange process involving the remains of deceased and detainees from both sides, within the framework of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States.

The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that the handover of all deceased bodies of hostages and detainees would take time, describing the operation as a "huge challenge" due to the difficulty of locating remains amid the rubble in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv announced a reduction in the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza and a ban on Palestinians leaving via the Rafah crossing after Hamas delivered only four bodies of hostages, contrary to what the agreement stipulated.

Israeli media cited security sources as saying that Hamas holds precise information about the whereabouts of more than 10 deceased hostages, and that handing over only four bodies constitutes a "serious breach of the agreement." The sources indicated that Israel is increasing pressure to compel Hamas to implement the next phase of the agreement "within the coming hours."

Israeli sources confirmed that the committee responsible for prisoners and missing persons recommended halting the flow of humanitarian aid through all crossings, considering that "the primary commitment is towards the families of the deceased hostages." Meanwhile, the Red Cross emphasized that it has not yet received any official request to receive additional bodies from Hamas and is currently continuing to transfer Palestinian bodies from Israel to Gaza under the existing agreement.

ANHA