Israel Reduces Gaza Aid Following Delays in Hostage Body Returns: Ceasefire Agreement Under Strain

Tel Aviv:

The delicate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict faced a significant challenge on Tuesday when Israel's military agency declared a "violation" of the truce agreement due to the slower-than-expected return of deceased hostages from Gaza. In response, Israel announced it would reduce by half the number of humanitarian aid trucks permitted to enter the devastated territory.

This decision to cut aid was communicated to United States officials and international humanitarian organizations, according to three sources who spoke with AP anonymously. The Israeli government did not provide immediate official comment on the matter.

Just a day earlier, Israelis had celebrated the return of the final 20 living hostages from Gaza, while Palestinians rejoiced at Israel's release of approximately 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire's initial phase.

Attention in Israel has now shifted to when Hamas will return all bodies of hostages who died in captivity. While Israeli officials had anticipated some delay in the recovery efforts, hostage families and their supporters expressed profound disappointment that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday.

The Hostages Family Forum, representing many of the affected families, called this a "blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas." Gal Hirsch, Israel's top official coordinating the return of hostages and missing persons, informed families that pressure was being applied to Hamas through international mediators to expedite the process, according to a note viewed by The Associated Press.

On Tuesday, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that bodies of three individuals killed by Israeli military forces in northern Gaza were transported to Al Ahli hospital. The Israeli military stated that troops had "opened fire to remove the threat" of several people approaching them who failed to comply with orders to stop, but did not immediately comment on casualties.

Under the ceasefire arrangement, Israeli forces withdrew to positions they held in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. This pullback leaves several heavily damaged Palestinian neighborhoods under Israeli control, with residents warned not to attempt returning to homes in these areas.

The Israeli military on Tuesday identified two of the deceased hostages returned from Gaza the previous day: Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi, a student from Nepal. A third hostage, Yossi Sharabi, was identified by Be'eri Kibbutz, from where he was abducted.

All three were captured by Hamas-led militants during the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war. Illouz was taken from a music festival, while Joshi was abducted from a bomb shelter.

Israeli authorities stated that Illouz died of wounds while being held without proper medical treatment, and Joshi was killed in captivity during the war's early months.

The ceasefire plan introduced by President Donald Trump called for "all hostages, alive and deceased" to be returned within 72 hours of the agreement's acceptance.

However, the agreement included contingency provisions, requiring Hamas to share information about any remaining deceased hostages and "exert maximum effort to ensure the fulfillment of these commitments as soon as possible." The agreement signed last week also stipulated that Israel would provide information on the remains of Palestinians who died in Israeli custody.

Both Hamas and the International Committee of the Red Cross have indicated that extensive destruction in Gaza has created significant challenges in recovering the hostages' bodies.

The freed Israeli hostages were receiving medical care on Tuesday, with some families indicating it would be weeks before the men could return home.

Dalia Cusnir-Horn, whose brother-in-law Eitan Horn was released Monday, said he had lost more than 40% of his body weight after receiving minimal food and water in recent months.

"He has a very, very long way to go," she said Tuesday, noting that the physical toll was only part of the trauma.

"He's just learning now... friends he knew that were murdered and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it's overwhelming and it's hard," Horn explained.

Moshe Levi, whose brother-in-law Omri Miran was freed from Gaza on Monday, described Miran's joy at playing with his young daughters – one of whom was less than a year old when he was taken hostage.

"He could feel like he's a father again, and they could feel like they have a father figure in the household. It's still surreal for them," Levi said.

In the West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners and detainees were released, several required hospitalization.

The Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah reported receiving 14 men released Monday, with all but two being discharged.

Doctors examining these men stated their conditions suggested they "were subjected to severe beatings, reflecting the extent of the violence they endured," according to Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor at the hospital.

Kamal Abu Shanab, released after more than 18 years of imprisonment, claimed beatings caused his shoulder to tear. "For eight months, I wasn't given even a pill for the pain," he said.

AP could not independently verify these claims. Israel's Prison Service stated it was unaware of such allegations, asserting, "All inmates are held according to legal procedures, and their rights including access to medical care and adequate living conditions are upheld."

Nasser Hospital in Gaza announced Tuesday that the International Committee of the Red Cross had transferred 45 Palestinian bodies to its morgue, the first of an expected 450.

Significant questions remain about Gaza's future, including whether Hamas will disarm, who will govern and assist in rebuilding the territory, and the unresolved issue of Palestinian statehood, which remains a central regional concern.

"The first steps to peace are always the hardest," Trump stated while attending a summit on Gaza's future in Egypt on Monday. He characterized the ceasefire deal he brokered as the end of the Gaza war and the beginning of rebuilding the devastated territory.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that 15 Palestinian technocrats had been selected to administer Gaza, with approval from Israel, Hamas, and other Palestinian factions.

Palestinians in Gaza have urged authorities to quickly restore some normalcy. Mohamad Abu Hajras, a displaced resident from Khan Younis, expressed hope that the ceasefire agreement would promptly lead to Gaza's reconstruction.

"There is no infrastructure, electricity, water, or anything that is fit for life," Hajras stated.

On Tuesday, the U.N. development agency reported that the latest joint estimate from the U.N., European Union, and World Bank indicates $70 billion will be needed to rebuild Gaza. Jaco Cilliers, a special representative for the agency, stated that $20 billion would be required in the next three years, with the remainder needed over a longer period – possibly decades.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, the war has claimed over 67,600 Palestinian lives, though the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It reports that women and children constitute approximately half of the casualties, and many independent experts consider its figures the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.