Israel halves Gaza aid over missing hostage remains
Israel cuts Gaza humanitarian aid by half after Hamas fails to return all deceased hostage remains. The decision comes despite Monday's successful exchange of living hostages for Palestinian prisoners. Tensions continue over compliance with ceasefire agreement terms.
Israel will cut humanitarian aid to Gaza by half until Hamas returns the remains of hostages who died in captivity. The decision follows Hamas returning only four bodies out of twenty-eight deceased hostages on Monday.
Israeli officials accuse Hamas of violating the peace agreement terms. The government will also keep the Rafah border crossing closed until progress occurs.
Hamas reportedly plans to transfer four additional bodies on Tuesday evening. The group previously claimed it cannot locate all deceased hostages.
On Monday, all twenty living hostages were exchanged for nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli detention. Officials stated the work remains incomplete because promised remains were not returned.
This aid reduction comes during ongoing tensions about compliance with ceasefire terms. The move will directly impact humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
International observers note both sides face pressure to maintain the fragile agreement while addressing fundamental disagreements about implementation.