Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is determined to recover the bodies of all dead prisoners and said Israel will continue to fight terrorism with all its might, the BBC reports.
Hamas has returned the remains of two more prisoners but has not been able to access the bodies of 19 more. There has been outrage in Israel over Hamas’ failure to meet the terms of the ceasefire, which requires the return of all dead prisoners. The US has said that this is not a breach of the agreement. US President Donald Trump said on the 16th of October that he was ready to see hostilities resume if the terrorist group continues to kill. He wrote on his social media account Truth Social that “we will have no choice but to go in and kill,” referring to the outbreak of violence in Gaza, where Hamas is cracking down on rival clans. Trump has previously ruled out the possibility of American troops entering Gaza.
The 20 live prisoners were released on the 13th of Ocotber, and Israel released 250 Palestinians in state prisons and 1,718 detainees in Gaza. Hamas’s military wing said on the 15th of October that it would continue to search for the bodies of the dead Israelis, but that it would require a great deal of effort and specialized equipment. Israel responded to the delay by threatening to restrict the flow of humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu stressed that Israel was ready to resume hostilities if it was attacked again. “Our fight against terrorism will continue with full force. We will not allow evil to raise its head. We will exact the full price from anyone who harms us,” the Israeli prime minister said.
US government officials said preparations were continuing for the next step in the peace plan.
They also said they did not believe Hamas was currently violating the agreement and that the group was continuing to provide information. Although the full text of the ceasefire agreement has not been made public, information published in Israeli media suggests that it allows for the possibility that the remains of all prisoners may not be found immediately. One reason is that Gaza has been turned into a field of rubble, making the search difficult.
Hamas has accused Israeli forces of killing more than 20 people since the ceasefire came into effect. The Israeli army, which still controls half of the territory, said the fire was opened to eliminate a threat to soldiers.
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