
Hamas released the bodies of two more Israeli hostages on Tuesday, amid growing pressure from the United States to avoid an escalation that could disrupt the Gaza ceasefire.
US officials, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure that any response to any ceasefire violation by Hamas is proportionate, to avoid undermining the agreement.
The warning comes after violent clashes between the two sides in recent days. Israel struck dozens of Hamas targets on Sunday after a Hamas attack killed two Israeli soldiers. Hamas denied any involvement in the attack and said it was carried out by a guerrilla group.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas was violating the ceasefire and warned that “they will fix it very quickly if the organization doesn’t fix it themselves.” He also said that several countries are ready to help destroy Hamas if it continues to violate the agreement.
According to the Wall Street Journal, following the US president's warnings, Hamas told mediators that it would stop public executions of members of rival gangs, following pressure from Israel, arguing that such actions could give Israel a pretext to continue the war.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya struck a diplomatic tone on Monday in an interview with an Egyptian state channel, saying the war was over and Hamas was committed to returning all the bodies of the dead hostages.
“We are determined to preserve this agreement,” al-Hayya said. “It will last, because we want it to last.”