Hamas and Israel each re-committed to the ceasefire agreement facilitated by the Trump administration. At the same time, those tensions between the two parties continue to boil over. The deal, signed into effect on October 9, required that Hamas release each living and dead hostage within 72 hours. In surprising and alarming fashion, over the weekend both sides accused each other of ceasefire violations, testing the fragile resilience of the ceasefire’s first days.
The Israeli military reported that Hamas returned 12 of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages as part of the ceasefire arrangement. That’s where discrepancies began to emerge. It emerged that one of the returned bodies was not an Israeli hostage at all.
According to Israeli intelligence estimates, Hamas is already having a hard time finding and bringing back all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza. Recent federal and state actions have exacerbated this fear in our community. Further complicating matters, an attack claimed by Hamas was responsible for the deaths of two Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
The American Red Cross made a huge move to root out its failures. In exchange, they were given one coffin containing the remains of one dead hostage killed from southern Gaza. The body was later released into the custody of Israeli military forces. It is presently headed to Tel Aviv for a long term identification.
These meetings conducted in Tel Aviv showed the result of behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvering to keep the ceasefire from unraveling. Then-White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and fellow investor Steve Witkoff held meetings at the Kirya military headquarters with senior IDF generals. They negotiated terms of ceasefire in Gaza. IDF Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder and Maj. Gen. Eyal Harel were active participants in the discussions. They were joined on stage by Ron Dermer and Major General Roman Gofman.
Despite the positive developments thus far, even Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana admitted that it’s all up in the air, saying,
“one way or another.” – Amir Ohana
As developments continue to unfold, both Hamas and Israel remain vigilant, maintaining their positions while navigating the complexities of the ceasefire agreement.
