More remains returned as Trump, Israel air concerns over Hamas’ deal compliance

TEL AVIV, Israel — Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages. The move came after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the terrorist group was handing remains over slower than agreed.

The Israeli prime minister’s office confirmed late Tuesday that authorities received four deceased hostages that the Red Cross handed over to Israeli military authorities inside Gaza. The bodies will be taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine where they will be identified and the families notified.

This latest transfer of remains comes a day after Israel received the bodies of four other dead hostages.

President Donald Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory.

Trump also warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”

A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israel’s release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire’s first phase.

Families express dismay

Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages is a challenge because of Gaza’s destruction, and Hamas told mediators of the deal that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops.

The U.S.-proposed ceasefire plan called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over within 72 hours, meaning on Monday. But it provided a mechanism if that didn’t happen, saying Hamas should share information about deceased hostages and “exert maximum effort” to carry out the transfer as soon as possible.

Families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. The Hostages Family Forum, representing many families, called it a “blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas.”

The top official in Israel coordinating the return of hostages and the missing, Gal Hirsch, told the families in a note that pressure was being applied on Hamas through mediators to expedite the process. A copy of the note was seen by the AP, and its authenticity was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the statement.

Israel confirms identities

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the identity of the four dead hostages returned on Monday: Guy Illouz from Israel, Bipin Joshi from Nepal, Cpt. Daniel Peretz and Yossi Sharabi.

Illouz was abducted from a music festival, Joshi from a bomb shelter and Sharabi from Be’eri Kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack that ignited the war.

Israel said Illouz died of his wounds without proper medical treatment, while Joshi was killed in the war’s first months.

Families left waiting expressed concern.

Ela Haimi said she didn’t know if the body of her husband, Tal, would be returned by Hamas in a few hours, days or ever. “I am afraid they will stop the return,” she said. Tal Haimi was killed while defending his kibbutz during the 2023 attack.

Long journey to recovery

The freed Israeli hostages were in medical care, and some families said it would be weeks before the men could go home.

Dalia Cusnir-Horn said brother-in-law Eitan Horn had lost more than 40 percent of his body weight after receiving very little food in the past few months. The physical toll was only part of the trauma, she said.

“He’s just learning now … friends he knew that were murdered, and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it’s overwhelming and it’s hard,” Cusnir-Horn said.

Moshe Levi spoke of brother-in-law Omri Miran’s elation at playing with his young daughters — one less than a year old when her father was taken hostage.

“He could feel like he’s a father again,” Levi said.

Long-term challenges

Difficult questions remain about Gaza’s future, including whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern and help rebuild the territory. Also unanswered is the question of Palestinian statehood.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 15 Palestinian technocrats have been selected to administer Gaza, with approval from Israel, Hamas and all other Palestinian factions.

On Tuesday, the U.N. development agency said the latest joint estimate with the European Union and the World Bank is that rebuilding Gaza will require $70 billion.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. A number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods remain under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there.

Praise from past leaders

Meanwhile, Trump has garnered praise from former White House leaders — including longtime critics and rivals — for brokering a landmark peace agreement in Gaza.

Former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, with former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, released statements commending Trump’s diplomatic efforts.

“I am deeply grateful and relieved that this day has come,” Biden wrote in a statement posted on X. “I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line,” Biden added.

Harris — who lost in the 2024 election to Trump — released a similar statement.

Clinton — who helped mediate the Oslo Accords in 1993 — also spoke of the newly announced deal in positive terms.

“I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 living hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza,” the former Democratic president wrote in a post on X. “President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached.”

“Now, Israel and Hamas …,” he added, “must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace.”

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have not released public statements on the Gaza peace deal.