Israel and Hamas trade blame as return of bodies threatens Gaza ceasefire

Hamas underlined its commitment to the fragile ceasefire negotiated by President Donald Trump, as the militant group and Israel traded new accusations over the return of the corpses.

Israel has demanded that Hamas do more to ensure the rapid return of the bodies of the 19 remaining hostages to Gaza, saying the militant group knows their whereabouts and warning that the Israeli military would consider resuming fighting if it fails to do so.

Hamas said Thursday that the return of the hostages’ bodies “could take some time” because some were buried in tunnels destroyed by Israeli bombing. “Others remain under the rubble of bombed and demolished buildings,” she said in a statement.

The group reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire, and in a new statement on Friday it urged mediators to follow “the implementation of the remaining provisions of the agreement”, emphasizing the need to increase the flow of aid to Gaza and begin the reconstruction process.

U.S. advisers also said the process could take weeks and that during negotiations all sides acknowledged the difficulty of the recovery.

Extracting bodies from the rubble requires heavy machinery and equipment, Hamas said, accusing Israel of blocking their entry.

Also on Thursday, Gaza’s Health Ministry released photos of what it said were bodies of Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel as part of the ceasefire, showing signs of torture and with several toes and fingers missing.

None of the bodies were accompanied by identification, Dr. Ahmed Edheir, a forensic consultant and head of forensic medicine in Gaza, told NBC News.

“Some bodies had been tied behind their backs,” he said, adding that one of the bodies had a rope tied around its neck.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News on the alleged condition of the bodies.

As part of the first phase of the agreement, the Israeli army partially withdrew from the enclave.

Israel announced Friday morning that it would erect physical markers along this “yellow line” where its army is now positioned inside Gaza, warning that “any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire.”

Violence has increased in the enclave as Hamas attempts to reassert its control over the war-torn territory, with at least one public execution and clashes with rival gangs.

Trump expressed his dissatisfaction. “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the agreement, we will have no choice but to go there and kill them,” he said on his social media platform Truth Social on Thursday.

The entry of vital humanitarian aid into the enclave is another point of contention.

The World Food Program said Friday it had delivered 560 tons of aid since the ceasefire began, but had not started any distributions in famine-stricken Gaza City as major northern crossings remained closed.

“To continue – and reach everyone – we need sustainable access and a stable operating environment,” he said in an article on X.