Gaza truce at risk as 'Israel' threatens military action against Hamas

• 'Israel’s' Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of resuming Gaza fighting.
• Hamas handed over two more deceased captives.
• Additional bodies cannot be retrieved without specialized equipment.
• Since Monday, all surviving captives returned to 'Israel'.

'Israel’s' Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Wednesday that military operations could resume if Hamas fails to comply with the terms of the US-backed ceasefire that has paused the war in Gaza.

The statement came shortly after Hamas handed over the remains of two more deceased captives, while stating that retrieving additional bodies from Gaza’s ruins would require specialized equipment.

Since Monday, under a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump, Hamas has returned 20 surviving 'Israeli' captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian political prisoners released from 'Israeli' jails.

Prior to Wednesday’s handover, seven of the 28 known deceased captives had been returned, along with an eighth body that 'Israel' claims did not belong to a former captive.

Katz’s office issued a stern message, “If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas, to change the reality in Gaza and achieve all the objectives of the war.”

Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the two bodies returned would be the last for now. “The Resistance has fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access,” the group said. “As for the remaining corpses, it requires extensive efforts and special equipment for their retrieval and extraction. We are exerting great effort in order to close this file.”

This development adds pressure on 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to withhold critical humanitarian aid to Gaza if the remains of soldiers still held by Hamas are not returned.

- Humanitarian concerns -

Meanwhile, 'Israel' transferred another 45 Palestinian bodies to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, bringing the total returned to 90, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Under the Trump plan, 'Israel' is to return 15 Palestinian bodies for each deceased 'Israeli' captive.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher urged 'Israel' to immediately reopen all crossings into Gaza for aid. “It should happen now. We want it to happen immediately as part of this agreement,” Fletcher told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Cairo, ahead of a planned visit to the Gaza border.

The Rafah crossing to Egypt remains the only border point connecting Gaza to the outside world without passing through 'Israel'. Fletcher said, “The test is that we have children fed, that we have anaesthetics in the hospitals for people getting treatment, that we have tents over people's heads.”

- Possible ceasefire violations -

Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that 'Israeli' fire killed three Palestinians on Wednesday, including two trying to reach their homes in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City.

The 'Israeli' military claimed several suspects were seen crossing the “yellow line” in northern Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire, and that troops neutralized the "threat".

- Political challenges remain -

Hamas continues to govern Gaza, while 'Israel' and the US insist the group cannot play any role in a future government. Disarmament of Hamas remains a key demand, which the group has refused.