Israel, Hamas Trade Accusations of Cease-Fire Violations
The Wall Street Journal repors:
TEL AVIV—Israel and Hamas on Tuesday accused each other of violating the cease-fire that was part of the deal that released all 20 living hostages from Gaza, as the families of deceased captives whose bodies are still in the enclave expressed anger at delays to their repatriation.
Hamas said several Gaza residents were killed by the Israeli military, calling it a violation of the cease-fire agreement. The Israeli military said suspects crossed a so-called yellow line that delineates where Israeli troops can be stationed inside Gaza, breaching the deal. The military said it opened fire after the suspects didn’t comply with attempts to distance them from troops.
Israelis celebrated the return of the living hostages on Monday, in what for many marked an end to the two-year Gaza war. But families of deceased hostages who are supposed to be returned to Israel as part of President Trump’s 20-point plan for peace said they were angered that only four of 28 bodies had been returned.
The allegations demonstrate the fragility of the deal brokered by Trump and indicate the coming days will be a test of its durability. For many Israelis, the war’s purpose was largely focused on getting the hostages released.
Some Palestinians worry that Israel could restart the war. If Hamas attempts to control Gaza or refuses to disarm, it could set the ground for a deterioration of the shaky peace.
Hamas has deployed armed security forces throughout the Gaza Strip since Israeli troops pulled out, also raising concerns about whether the group will actually hand over power and disarm as outlined in Trump’s plan.
The U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation paused operations at three distribution centers and permanently closed its site in central Gaza, according to a spokesperson. The large majority of aid going into Gaza continues to come from the United Nations.
The Hostages Families Forum, an advocacy group, called the failure to hand over all the bodies a violation of the agreement and called for “the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation” until all the remaining bodies are returned to Israel. A spokesperson for the forum later said it wasn’t calling for a return to fighting, but for Hamas to be held accountable to meet its obligations as part of the agreement.
“We ask you to pull out every stop and leave no stone unturned in demanding that Hamas fulfill their end of the agreement and bring all the remaining hostages home,” the forum said in a letter to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Hamas had communicated to mediators that it didn’t know where all the bodies were and the two sides agreed to set up an international task force to search for the remaining bodies.
Israel confirmed on Tuesday the identity of two deceased hostages who were handed over a day earlier as Nepali citizen Bipin Joshi and Israeli Guy Illouz, who were 23 and 26, respectively, at the time of their deaths. The Israeli military said two other bodies handed over were those of hostages but didn’t release their identities.
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s national coordinator for hostages and missing, told families in a message Tuesday that Israel was committed to bringing the remains of their relatives home.
“The mission hasn’t been completed. We are determined and totally committed. We won’t stop acting until all the fallen hostages are located and returned home,” Hirsch said.
Write to Anat Peled at [email protected]
Conflict in the Middle East
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TEL AVIV—Israel and Hamas on Tuesday accused each other of violating the cease-fire that was part of the deal that released all 20 living hostages from Gaza, as the families of deceased captives whose bodies are still in the enclave expressed anger at delays to their repatriation.
Hamas said several Gaza residents were killed by the Israeli military, calling it a violation of the cease-fire agreement. The Israeli military said suspects crossed a so-called yellow line that delineates where Israeli troops can be stationed inside Gaza, breaching the deal. The military said it opened fire after the suspects didn’t comply with attempts to distance them from troops.
Israelis celebrated the return of the living hostages on Monday, in what for many marked an end to the two-year Gaza war. But families of deceased hostages who are supposed to be returned to Israel as part of President Trump’s 20-point plan for peace said they were angered that only four of 28 bodies had been returned.
The allegations demonstrate the fragility of the deal brokered by Trump and indicate the coming days will be a test of its durability. For many Israelis, the war’s purpose was largely focused on getting the hostages released.
Some Palestinians worry that Israel could restart the war. If Hamas attempts to control Gaza or refuses to disarm, it could set the ground for a deterioration of the shaky peace.
Hamas has deployed armed security forces throughout the Gaza Strip since Israeli troops pulled out, also raising concerns about whether the group will actually hand over power and disarm as outlined in Trump’s plan.
The U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation paused operations at three distribution centers and permanently closed its site in central Gaza, according to a spokesperson. The large majority of aid going into Gaza continues to come from the United Nations.
The Hostages Families Forum, an advocacy group, called the failure to hand over all the bodies a violation of the agreement and called for “the immediate suspension of all agreement implementation” until all the remaining bodies are returned to Israel. A spokesperson for the forum later said it wasn’t calling for a return to fighting, but for Hamas to be held accountable to meet its obligations as part of the agreement.
“We ask you to pull out every stop and leave no stone unturned in demanding that Hamas fulfill their end of the agreement and bring all the remaining hostages home,” the forum said in a letter to U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Hamas had communicated to mediators that it didn’t know where all the bodies were and the two sides agreed to set up an international task force to search for the remaining bodies.
Israel confirmed on Tuesday the identity of two deceased hostages who were handed over a day earlier as Nepali citizen Bipin Joshi and Israeli Guy Illouz, who were 23 and 26, respectively, at the time of their deaths. The Israeli military said two other bodies handed over were those of hostages but didn’t release their identities.
Gal Hirsch, Israel’s national coordinator for hostages and missing, told families in a message Tuesday that Israel was committed to bringing the remains of their relatives home.
“The mission hasn’t been completed. We are determined and totally committed. We won’t stop acting until all the fallen hostages are located and returned home,” Hirsch said.
Write to Anat Peled at [email protected]
Conflict in the Middle East
Latest news and key analysis, selected by editors
Trump’s Big Gamble on Tackling the Middle East’s Intractable Problems
