US does not see Hamas breach of Gaza agreement over delay in return of deceased hostages

US government advisers have minimised the risk of a resumption of war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip at this time and said they do not see any breach by the Palestinian group due to the delay in returning the remains of hostages still in the enclave. Through international media, American sources admitted that the process of recovering bodies could take weeks — a stance on the first major impasse of the agreement, while Israel threatens to break the terms if the return is not accelerated, and Hamas claims to have handed over all the remains it had access to. Crisis in Gaza: Hamas’ attempt to regain control with public executions strengthens Israel’s demand for group disarmament. Return of remains: Israel identifies remains of two hostages returned by Hamas. ‘We have heard many people saying that Hamas violated the agreement because not all bodies were returned. I think the agreement we had with them was to release all living hostages, which they honoured,’ said an American adviser speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity. ‘At this time, we have a mechanism in place where we are working closely with mediators and with them to do our best to retrieve as many bodies as possible.’ The agreement accepted by Israel and Hamas after negotiations in Egypt stipulated that the Palestinian group would release all hostages captured during the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, alive or dead. The terms set a 72-hour deadline for the return, but during the negotiations, Hamas said it did not have all the bodies of the deceased in its possession due to extensive destruction in Gaza after two years of war. International organisations such as the Red Cross even considered it possible that some of the bodies might never be found. In a statement released on Wednesday, after the handover of two more bodies to Israel — bringing the total to nine —, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades stated that ‘all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the bodies to which it had access,’ had been returned. The group also pointed out that ‘extensive efforts and special equipment are needed for the recovery and extraction of the remaining bodies.’ American sources said an international team, including experts in remains recovery, from Turkey are planning an entry into Gaza to assist with the search, and other mediators believe the difficulties claimed by Hamas are real. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that the recovery of all remains will be a challenge that will take time due to the precarious conditions in the Palestinian enclave, in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. ‘Recovering the remains will take some time because they are under the rubble and there are many explosive materials and devices under the rubble. Therefore, reaching them will be a bit difficult. But we are doing our best,’ said the Cairo diplomat. ‘[Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi] openly stated that there are some obstacles on the ground and that we need to make extra efforts to find, discover, and collect the remains.’ Despite international understanding, in Israel, the non-delivery of all bodies was a disappointment for families waiting for closure through the burial of their loved ones. One organisation advocating for the hostages said the Israeli government should not comply with the agreement terms until all bodies are returned. Authorities are already delaying the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, through which a large part of the promised humanitarian aid is supposed to enter. At an official event to mark the second anniversary of the 2023 attack on October 7, at the Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that he is still ‘determined to secure the return of all hostages.’ He also referred to a return to hostilities. ‘The fight is not over yet, but one thing is very clear: those who raise their hand against us know they will pay a high price,’ Netanyahu declared. Israeli sources believe Hamas is trying to buy time and intentionally delaying the handover, despite knowing the location of some of the remaining hostages’ remains. An Israeli assessment suggests the group may have access to another five or six bodies. In total, Israel expects to recover between 26 and 28 bodies. (With AFP)