By Nadine Osman
London ,(The Muslim News): The fragile ceasefire in Gaza faces mounting pressure as Hamas has stated it requires “significant effort and specialised equipment” to locate and return the remains of all Israeli captives, a condition Israel insists must be met before advancing to the next phase of the peace plan.
While Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, announced it had “abided by what was agreed upon, delivering all living captives,” the group admitted on Wednesday that recovering bodies still buried beneath the rubble presents a major challenge. In a statement, they confirmed the handover of two more sets of remains and affirmed they are “working hard to close this file.”
The situation has prompted a stern warning from US President Donald Trump, who asserted that Israel is prepared to resume its military campaign should Hamas fail to comply. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” Trump told CNN. “If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that. I had to hold them back.” He emphasised that the release of all remaining remains and the disarmament of Hamas were paramount.
Echoing this stance, Israel’s defence minister has instructed the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas should the ceasefire collapse.
Amid these tensions, the humanitarian situation remains dire. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transfer of the remains of 45 deceased Palestinians to Gaza health authorities, acting “as a neutral intermediary.” Meanwhile, the UN’s top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, called for a “massive surge” in aid. “As Israel has agreed to a ceasefire, they must allow the massive surge of humanitarian aid – thousands of trucks a week – on which so many lives depend,” Fletcher said from Cairo, stressing that withholding aid “is not a bargaining chip.”
A United Nations agency has further accused Israeli forces of continuing to “kill civilians” in areas of Gaza where its military has nominally redeployed under the ceasefire terms. The death toll from the conflict, which began in October 2023, stands at least 67,938 Palestinians killed and 170,169 wounded.
Israeli forces beats to death in West Bank
Violence has also continued in the occupied West Bank, where a 57-year-old Palestinian man was beaten to death by Israeli forces on Wednesday while crossing the separation wall, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The wall, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, remains a frequent site of confrontation. Palestinian figures indicate over 1,051 people have been killed in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began.
In a political development, Ellie Chowns, a Green Party MP, has called for the release of Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouti from Israeli prison, describing him as “a powerful unifying voice for Palestinians who could potentially play a crucial role in securing meaningful and lasting peace.” Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences, is a popular figure known for his commitment to a two-state solution.
[Photo: A view of the widespread destruction while families return to their destroyed homes in southern city of Khan Yunis following the ceasefire in Gaza on October 16, 2025. Photojournalist: Abed Rahim Khatib/AA]
