No negotiations will begin on phase B of US President Donald Trump’s plan until Hamas returns all the bodies of the kidnapped fallen soldiers, senior officials told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
“Contrary to reports published in The Wall Street Journal, negotiations on phase B have not yet started,” the officials told the Post. “Professional teams are currently in Egypt discussing methods for locating the bodies of the kidnapped fallen.”
On Saturday, Hamas returned four bodies. However, after examination at the National Center of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, it was discovered that one of the bodies did not belong to a hostage, but to a Palestinian who had assisted Israeli security forces in searching Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip and was murdered by Hamas terrorists.
Despite the fact that this individual was not among the 28 hostages listed as fallen and held by Hamas at the time of the ceasefire agreement, Israel did not consider the incident a violation.
Humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip continued as usual, and preparations proceeded to reopen the Rafah crossing for pedestrian movement in and out of Gaza, according to two Israeli sources.
Israel does not intend to allow Hamas to “drag out” the process of returning the bodies of the fallen.
US administration has conveyed messages to mediators
The US administration has also conveyed messages to mediators, making clear that it opposes any delays in the return of the bodies.
A source familiar with the details told the Post that Qatar and Turkey are pressuring Hamas on this issue. “Israel understood from the outset that this would take time, so it’s unclear why they are now issuing threats.
Even they admitted that not everyone would be returned at first,” the source said.
Turkey has also sent a delegation of 81 search personnel to Gaza, along with necessary equipment and vehicles, to assist in locating the bodies of the fallen.