Hamas released the bodies of two more Israeli hostages on Tuesday, amid mounting US pressure to avoid an escalation that could derail the Gaza truce. U.S. officials, Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner, asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure that the response to any truce violations by Hamas is proportionate to prevent the deal from collapsing.
This wave of warnings came after violent clashes between the two sides erupted in recent days. Israel struck dozens of Hamas targets on Sunday after a Hamas attack left two Israeli soldiers dead. Hamas denied any involvement in the attack and said it was carried out by a rebel group.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas was violating the ceasefire and warned that “they will take care of it very quickly if the organization doesn’t fix it themselves.” In fact, he said several countries are ready to help destroy Hamas if it continues to violate the agreement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, following the U.S. president’s warnings, Hamas told mediators that it would stop publicly executing rival gang members after being pressured to do so, arguing that such actions could give Israel an excuse to resume fighting.
Hamas chief Khalil al-Haya adopted a diplomatic tone on Monday in an interview with an Egyptian state channel, saying the war was over and Hamas was committed to returning all the bodies of dead hostages. “We are determined to maintain this agreement,” al-Haya said. “It will last, because we want it to last.”
Ask me anything
Explore related questions