Gaza latest: Hamas says it has returned all hostage bodies it can as Trump warns Israel could resume fighting
Hamas says all reachable hostage bodies have now been returned to Israel after the Red Cross received the remains of another two late on Wednesday.
Hamas was due to return all 28 of the dead hostages by Monday, but has so far returned only nine. The militant group has now said that it will not be able to recover any more without “significant efforts”.
US president Donald Trump has said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” Mr Trump told CNN.
Israel is reportedly preparing to reopen the border between Gaza and Egypt, where aid trucks are waiting to enter the strip, after closing it because Hamas had not yet returned all the hostages.
Israel has also returned the remains of scores of dead Palestinians as part of the ceasefire deal. Late on Wednesday, forensics teams in Gaza said many of the bodies showed signs of “torture and execution”. Others appeared decomposed or burned, while some were missing limbs or teeth.
