U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to travel to the Middle East on Sunday to follow up on the implementation of the Gaza agreement, marking the latest American move regarding the deal.
According to a U.S. official speaking to Axios, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Trump that Hamas is lying and urged the U.S. and other mediators to pressure the group to return more bodies. An Israeli official noted that Trump responded by saying he was aware of the issue and would work to resolve it.
Meanwhile, Israel announced it had recovered the body of a hostage handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross in Gaza, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. The statement said, “Israel received, via the Red Cross, the coffin of a deceased hostage, which was handed over to the Israeli army and Shin Bet in Gaza.” The body will be transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.
Regarding the second phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, senior Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal stated that the disarmament issue is complex and cannot be resolved at this time, adding that the group has not agreed to the terms of the second phase. He emphasized that Hamas will remain on the ground during the transitional phase and is responsible for protecting aid from criminal gangs.
In response to Nazzal’s remarks, Netanyahu’s office reiterated the necessity of unconditional and exception-free disarmament of Hamas. It added that Hamas must comply with Trump’s plan and warned that time is running out, asserting that Hamas knows the location of the hostages’ bodies.