Shafaq News – Middle East

Israel will not move forward with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement until Hamas returns the bodies of all hostages, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

According to i24news, Israeli officials informed US mediators that no additional steps in the Trump-brokered deal will proceed without further remains, though Washington does not view the demand as a violation of the agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has also reportedly postponed the reopening of the Rafah crossing with Egypt—one of Gaza’s main humanitarian corridors—until more bodies are recovered.

Channel 14 reported that a Palestinian team, approved by Israel, will manage crossing operations under Israeli oversight, with each departing Gazan received by a designated local contact and monitored by European Union personnel.

The delay follows US President Donald Trump’s confirmation Wednesday that Hamas is still retrieving bodies buried under rubble or hidden in tunnels, some trapped for weeks beneath collapsed structures.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare for a renewed offensive should the ceasefire fail, with reports indicating that planning is underway for a full-scale operation to dismantle Hamas’s remaining military capabilities.