Donald Trump is “watching very closely” as the exchange of remains in Gaza falters, a key pillar of the fragile truce he brokered. Hamas’s slow return of Israeli bodies has prompted a 48-hour warning from the former president, who said, “for some reason, they are not” returning bodies they can reach.
The agreement stipulates Israel returns 15 Palestinian bodies for every one hostage remain. So far, Israel has returned 195 bodies, while Hamas has returned only 18. Hamas blames the delay on bodies being buried “deep beneath the rubble.”
As this critical part of the truce falters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is focused on the next phase. He declared Sunday that Israel will have veto power over the international peacekeeping force, a move he says the US supports.
Netanyahu has already used this to signal a block on Turkey. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel, backed this, stating the force must be “comfortable” for Israel and must exclude Hamas.
The ceasefire was also tested by an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp, which Hamas called a “clear violation.”