Donald Trump is “watching very closely” to ensure Hamas returns Israeli hostage remains, warning the group to act within 48 hours as per the truce he brokered. This warning comes amid a sluggish exchange process, which is testing the fragile ceasefire that began on October 10.
Hamas has so far returned 18 hostage remains, while Israel has returned 195 Palestinian bodies, based on an agreement of 15 bodies for every one hostage. Hamas claims the operation is hampered by bodies being buried deep under rubble, and Egypt has dispatched heavy machinery to aid the search.
As this issue tests the truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is focused on the next phase: Gaza’s international peacekeeping force. Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel will have the final say on which countries can join, a move he says the US supports.
“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” he stated, having already voiced opposition to Turkish participation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel, backed this, stating the force must be composed of “countries that Israel’s comfortable with.”
The ceasefire’s stability is also in question following an Israeli strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Hamas condemned the strike as a “clear violation” and an attempt by Netanyahu to undermine Trump’s peace efforts.