Trump sets deadline for Hamas to release hostages’ bodies as Egyptian team enters Gaza to help

JTA – An Egyptian team has entered Gaza to join in the search for the remains of 13 hostages whose bodies have still not been released following the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The ceasefire’s first phase required the release of all hostages, living and dead. Hamas freed all 20 living hostages as required, but has released the remains of only 15 of 28 hostages who were killed on 7 October 2023, or subsequently in captivity.

On Saturday, United States President Donald Trump, who brokered the ceasefire and is applying pressure to maintain it, issued a stern warning to Hamas about freeing the remaining hostages.

“Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other countries involved in this great peace will take action,” Trump posted on Truth Social. He didn’t offer details about which countries would step in or what actions they might take.

The Israelis reportedly believe that Hamas is aware of the locations of the majority of the hostages’ bodies, but is slow-walking their release to delay a shift to the deal’s second phase, which would require it to disarm and cede control of Gaza.

Trump acknowledged both concerns in his post, in which he implied a deadline of Monday afternoon, 27 October, for swift action on Hamas’s part.

“Some of the bodies are hard to reach, but others they can return now and, for some reason, they aren’t. Perhaps it has to do with their disarming, but when I said, ‘Both sides would be treated fairly,’ that applies only if they comply with their obligations,” he wrote. “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, meanwhile, said on Monday that Israel and the US should pause efforts to advance the peace plan until the hostages are returned.

“Hamas knows exactly where every one of the deceased hostages is held,” the group said in a statement, adding, “The families urge the government of Israel, the US administration, and the mediators not to advance to the next phase of the agreement until Hamas fulfils all of its obligations and returns every hostage to Israel.”

Israel has endorsed the entry of Egyptian forces to locate the hostages, but hasn’t accepted an offer from Turkey, which took Hamas’s side in the war, to help.

The 13 remaining hostages include two, Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, who were dual American citizens. They also include Thai and Tanzanian agricultural workers; several older men murdered on 7 October; a hostage killed in a failed rescue attempt; and a soldier, Hadar Goldin, whose body has been held by Hamas since 2014.