Israeli PM accuses Hamas of violating the Gaza ceasefire by returning remains of a hostage already recovered
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement, of a 'clear violation' of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Netanyahu's claim comes after Hamas handed over remains of a hostage who had already been returned, a move that threatens the tenuous ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
Background
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect on October 10, Hamas is obliged to return the remains of all Israeli hostages as soon as possible. In return, Israel has agreed to hand over 15 Palestinian bodies for each Israeli.
So far, Hamas has already handed over 20 living captives and the remains of some deceased hostages. However, it seems the remains of a hostage named Ofir Tzarfati, whose body had already been recovered by the Israeli army, were among the remains returned.
A Violation of the Agreement
According to the Israeli National Forensic Institute, there is no match between the remains of the body handed over to Israel recently and any of the captive bodies held in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu's office has declared this action a 'clear violation' of the ceasefire agreement.
Hamas, however, has claimed to be complying with the ceasefire agreement and doing its best to locate the remains of the hostages. The group stated that the process of identifying the bodies is hampered by a lack of equipment.
Response and Reactions
Netanyahu has announced that Israel will respond to this violation, though the specific nature of the response has not been detailed yet. The Prime Minister's accusation has prompted calls from far-right ministers for a resumption of war.
On the other hand, Hamas has announced that it will hand over the body of another Israeli captive at 8 pm local time. The remains of the captive were reportedly discovered recently in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
Current Status
The current situation is tense, with Israel awaiting the return of 13 more bodies of captives from the Gaza Strip. This latest development has added more strain to the ceasefire agreement, and it remains to see how both parties will handle the situation going forward.
In the midst of these developments, reports have emerged detailing the struggles of doctors in Gaza trying to investigate 'signs of torture' on bodies returned by Israel. The forensic team at Nasser Hospital, in the Gaza Strip, is said to be working without cold chambers or a DNA lab to identify and examine these bodies.
The ceasefire agreement was seen as a step towards ending hostilities between Israel and Hamas. However, these recent developments threaten to undermine progress and could potentially lead to a resumption of hostilities.