Israel Won't Reopen Rafah Cros... Note

Israel Won't Reopen Rafah Crossing As Hamas Fails To Return Bodies Of Slain Hostages

Hamas released only four of the 28 deceased hostages' bodies, violating the agreed-upon ceasefire terms. Israeli leaders strongly criticized this breach of the deal brokered by Trump. The Israeli military confirmed the identities of two of the deceased. Israel decided to close the Rafah border crossing and reduce aid into Gaza until all bodies are returned. The Red Cross warned retrieving all remains will take significant time due to the conditions in Gaza. Some hostage families want a halt to the deal's implementation until all remains are returned. This incident presents the first major challenge in the post-swap stage of the deal. Hardliners may use this to push for renewed war, but Netanyahu is unlikely to provoke Trump. The IDF believes Hamas has not sufficiently tried to recover the bodies. Hamas handed over two other bodies, Yossi Sharabia and Cpt. Daniel Perez. Egypt is aiding in retrieving the remaining hostage remains.
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