Gaza Ceasefire: Netanyahu Vows To Recover All Dead Hostages As Tensions Mount
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ensure the full return of hostages still held in Gaza, declaring that the country’s mission “is not over yet” despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal that ended the two-year conflict.
Speaking at an event marking the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, Netanyahu said Israel is “determined to secure the return of all hostages”, including those who died in Hamas custody.
“The fight is not over yet. But one thing is clear, whoever lays a hand on us knows they will pay a very heavy price,” he stressed.
Under the ceasefire agreement mediated by President Donald Trump, Hamas released the last 20 surviving hostages and returned the remains of four deceased captives.
The group, however, said it still needs specialist recovery equipment to retrieve the remains of 19 others buried under Gaza’s rubble.
The truce brought an end to one of the region’s bloodiest conflicts, which began with Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians and led to Israel’s devastating bombardment of Gaza.
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The war left at least 67,938 people dead in the enclave, according to Gaza health officials, with the United Nations considering those figures credible.
Despite the ceasefire, pressure is mounting within Israel to ensure Hamas fully complies with the agreement.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a prominent advocacy group, urged the government to suspend further stages of the truce until all bodies are returned.
“As long as Hamas breaches the agreements and continues to hold 19 hostages, there can be no unilateral progress on Israel’s part,” the group said in a statement.
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned on Wednesday that military operations could resume if Hamas fails to meet its commitments.
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“If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting to achieve a total defeat of Hamas,” his office said.
President Trump has, however, appealed for patience, describing the recovery process as “gruesome” but necessary to preserve the fragile peace.
“They’re digging and finding bodies under rubble — some buried for a long time,” he said.
