Hamas has stressed its commitment to the fragile ceasefire brokered by President Donald Trump as the militant group and Israel traded new accusations over the return of dead bodies.
Hamas returned the remains of one more hostage on Friday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The remains were later identified as Eliyahu Margalit, 75, from Nir Oz kibbutz, who was killed in the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack and his body taken into Gaza, the IDF said in a post on X.
Israel has demanded that Hamas do more to ensure the swift return of the bodies of the remaining 18 hostages in Gaza, saying the militant group knows where they are and warning that the Israeli military would plan to resume fighting if it fails to do so.
Hamas said Thursday that returning the bodies of the hostages “may take some time” as some were buried in tunnels that were destroyed by Israeli bombing. “Others remain under the rubble of buildings bombed and demolished,” it said in a statement.
The group reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire, and in a new statement Friday it urged mediators to follow up "on the implementation of the remaining provisions of the agreement," highlighting the need to increase the flow of aid into Gaza and begin the reconstruction process.
U.S. advisers have also said the process could take weeks, and that during negotiations all sides had acknowledged the difficulty of the recovery.
Extracting the bodies from under the rubble requires heavy machinery and equipment, Hamas said, accusing Israel of blocking their entry.
Also Thursday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza posted photos of what it said were bodies of Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel as part of the ceasefire, showing signs of torture and with various toes and fingers missing.
None of the bodies came with any identification, Dr. Ahmed Edheir, Forensic Medicine Consultant and Head of Forensic Medicine in Gaza, told NBC News.
"Some of the bodies had been tied behind the back," he said, adding that one of the bodies had a rope tied around its neck.
The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to an NBC News request for comment about the alleged state of the bodies.
As part of the first phase of the agreement, the Israeli military has partially withdrawn from the enclave.
Israel said early Friday it would erect physical markers along this "yellow line" where its military is now positioned inside Gaza, warning that “any violation or attempt to cross the line will be met with fire.”
Violence has surged in the enclave as Hamas tries to reassert its control over the war-torn territory, with at least one public execution and clashes with rival gangs.
Trump expressed his displeasure. “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” he posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday.
The entry of vital humanitarian aid into the enclave has been another point of contention.
The World Food Programme said Friday that it had brought in 560 tonnes of aid since the ceasefire began, but had not started any distribution in famine-stricken Gaza City as key northern crossings remained closed.
"To keep going — and reach everyone — we need lasting access and a stable operating environment," it said in a post on X.
