Hamas’ announcement of finding two bodies boosts chances of sustaining the ceasefire
The announcement by Hamas that it has recovered the bodies of two Israeli hostages has increased the likelihood that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza will hold, despite a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes that left numerous Palestinian casualties.
In a statement, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, reported that the remains of Israeli hostages Amiram Cooper and Saher Baruch were retrieved during ongoing search operations. The group did not specify when the bodies would be handed over, citing Israeli air and artillery strikes targeting several sites across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening.
Although the attacks mark the most serious breach since the ceasefire began, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the truce his administration helped broker “is not in danger,” a sentiment echoed the day before by Vice President J.D. Vance.
According to Palestinian medical sources, thirty Palestinians were killed and at least fifteen others injured—including a baby and several children—in a series of Israeli air raids across Gaza. Five people were killed when a vehicle was struck in Khan Younis, and three others died when Israeli warplanes bombed a home belonging to the al-Banna family in Gaza City’s al-Sabra neighborhood.
Israeli warplanes also conducted a strike inside the al-Shifa Medical Complex in western Gaza City. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the strikes were carried out under his direct orders, allegedly in response to gunfire from Palestinian militants in Rafah, though no Israeli casualties were reported.
Hamas denied any involvement in the Rafah shooting and reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm el-Sheikh under U.S. President Trump’s mediation. The movement described the airstrikes as a “flagrant violation” of the truce and urged the guarantor mediators to “act immediately to restrain Israel’s aggression against civilians and ensure it abides by all provisions of the agreement.”
Analysts believe that the transfer of the two Israeli bodies through the International Committee of the Red Cross could help restore momentum to Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Israel claims Hamas still holds the bodies of thirteen hostages, including two foreigners, out of twenty-eight captives released in phases since the ceasefire took effect two weeks ago. In return, Israel is releasing thirty Palestinian bodies from among hundreds it has kept since the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023.
On Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance said that the ceasefire “remains intact despite Israeli airstrikes.” He told reporters, “That doesn’t mean there won’t be small skirmishes here and there. We know Hamas—or another group in Gaza—attacked an Israeli soldier. We expect a response, but we believe the peace announced by the president will hold.”
According to Israel Hayom, a U.S. official confirmed that Washington opposes any territorial expansion by Israel inside Gaza. “We believe Hamas violated the agreement,” the official said, “but an excessively harsh Israeli response could reignite the war.” The report added that U.S. officials also oppose any major alteration of Israel’s current military control lines or a ground invasion of the enclave.
