The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas held, but was fragile, on Tuesday after the region quieted down following celebrations of peace on Monday.
Tensions in the region remain as Israel demands the return of the remaining deceased hostages, warns Palestinians to respect the current military line and Hamas clashes with opposition leaders in Gaza.
The latest developments in the region prove that peace could be hard to achieve and many questions remain about the future of the proposed ceasefire plan.
Slow hostage release
Israel is frustrated over the return of deceased hostages.
It was understood that it would take time for Hamas to recover and return all of the bodies, but on Monday, just four of the 28 dead were returned to families for burial.
On Tuesday, the Israel Defense Force said it informed the families of the four deceased hostages, which include 26-year-old Guy Iluz, 23-year-old Bipin Joshi and two who are not publicly named.
Iluz was reportedly abducted by Hamas after escaping the Nova music festival on Oct. 7, 2023, and died from wounds after not receiving proper care in captivity. Joshi is assessed to have been murdered in captivity during the start of the war, the IDF said.
The deceased have been sent to the National Center of Forensic Medicine for examination of cause of death.
“The IDF expresses deep condolences to the families, and continues to make every effort to return all the hostages, as Hamas is required to fulfill its part of the agreement and make the necessary efforts to return all the hostages to their families and to proper burial,” the IDF said.
As a result of Hamas’ slow return of the deceased, Israel is planning to halve the number of aid trucks going into Gaza, The Associated Press reported.
Israel is accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire agreement by not returning the hostages in a timely manner and plans to limit aid distribution to prompt the militant group to speed up its recovery and return efforts, the AP reported.
Under the proposed peace agreement, all living and deceased hostages would be returned by Hamas within 72 hours of agreement. However, parties involved acknowledged how difficult it may be for Hamas to find or identify them, due to the widespread destruction in the area.
As of Tuesday evening in Israel, the IDF said it received information and the Red Cross is going to a meeting point in southern Gaza to retrieve “several coffins of deceased hostages.” The IDF did not provide a number of how many, but reminded Hamas that it is “required to fulfill its part of the agreement” by taking the necessary efforts to return the deceased for a “dignified burial.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross later confirmed it transported four bodies of hostages back to Israeli authorities.
The ceasefire deal also directs Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing in both directions to facilitate aid deliveries. As Israeli families press for their loved ones to be returned, the military appeared to not proceed with opening the crossing between Gaza and Egypt for aid.
Israeli military activity
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it opened fire on “several suspects” who crossed the agreed-upon line in Gaza.
“Earlier today, several suspects were spotted crossing the yellow line and approaching IDF troops in northern Gaza, a clear violation of the agreement,” the Israel Defense Force said in a post online.
The IDF said there were “multiple attempts” to distance the suspects, who “refused to comply.” Israeli troops were then prompted to “open fire to remove the threat.” The IDF also dispelled rumors that terrorists had infiltrated their military position.
“The IDF urges Gaza residents to follow instructions and keep their distance from IDF troops,” the post said.
According to Reuters, Hamas said at least six Palestinians were killed in two separate incidents.
As part of the brokered ceasefire deal, there is a yellow line in which Israeli forces withdrew to under the initial phase. It is where troops stood in August before launching their offensive into Gaza City. Notably, the IDF would not withdraw completely from Gaza under the initial deal and a secondary withdrawal would be discussed after the hostages were returned.
Fight in Gaza leaves 27 dead
At least 27 people were dead after a clash between Hamas and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, the BBC reported.
The outlet reported that Hamas gunmen exchanged heavy fire with members of the Dughmush clan. Eight Hamas members were killed and medical sources said 19 Dughmush members died since fighting broke out over the weekend.
The Dughmush family is one of the territory’s prominent groups and has had a tense relationship with Hamas, the BBC reported.
Hamas said that it was trying to restore order and armed activity “outside the framework of the resistance” would be dealt with.
The militant group’s future is unclear. It quickly tried to reclaim streets in Gaza following the IDF’s withdrawal. However, under the proposed ceasefire plan, Gaza would become a “de-radicalized terror-free zone” and members who want to leave Gaza can be provided safe passage and amnesty.
Where things stand
Celebrations erupted in Gaza and Tel Aviv on Monday as Phase 1 of President Donald Trump’s peace plan unfolded. Twenty living hostages in Hamas captivity were returned home and almost 2,000 Palestinians were released by Israel under the first phase.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met to commemorate the historic deal that ended the two-year war that began on Oct. 7, 2023.
Trump then met with other world leaders in Egypt to sign the ceasefire proposal and set forward a plan for rebuilding and peace in the region.
The president acknowledged that the job is far from over to securing lasting peace in the region.
“ALL TWENTY HOSTAGES ARE BACK AND FEELING AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED. A big burden has been lifted, but the jobs IS NOT DONE,” Trump said Tuesday online. “THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!”
“Phase Two begins right NOW!!!” he added.
In remarks on Monday, Trump said negotiations on the second phase were underway. The president was asked Tuesday back at the White House about a timeline for Hamas disarming.
“If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them, and it’ll happen quickly and perhaps violently, but they will disarm,” Trump said, adding that it will happen on a “reasonable” deadline.