The handover of the bodies is delayed, Israel warns Hamas of breach of contract

Israel has announced that it has taken possession of the body of another deceased hostage from the Red Cross, bringing the number of bodies handed over to ten out of a total of 28 held in Gaza. Hamas claims that technical obstacles and the need for excavation equipment to speed up the process of locating the bodies under the rubble are complicating the process.

However, Israel accuses Hamas of delays and suggests that the group is running out of time. Fears are growing that the ceasefire agreement, which is the first phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, could be broken.

The Turkish foreign minister warned that Israel could use the situation as a pretext to resume fighting. Although the fighting has subsided, eleven civilians, including children, were killed in Israeli shelling in Gaza on Friday.

Hamas has called for the agreement to continue: it wants the borders to be opened, humanitarian aid to be allowed in, reconstruction to begin, and Israeli troops to withdraw. Israel announced preparations for the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, but did not give a specific date.

Other unresolved issues in the plan include the disarmament of militants and the future administration of the Gaza Strip.

(reuters, max)