Jerusalem, 16 October (H.S.): The fragile, US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza is facing a critical test after Israel’s defense minister threatened to resume hostilities if Hamas fails to fully comply with the agreement’s terms, particularly regarding the return of deceased hostages.The threat from Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday came after Hamas announced it could not retrieve more bodies from the ruins of Gaza without specialized equipment.

The Islamist group stated it had fulfilled its commitment by handing over all living hostages and the remains it could access. If Hamas refuses to comply with the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the United States, will resume fighting, a statement from Katz’s office declared.Under the ceasefire agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump, Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

The deal also stipulated the return of the remains of 28 known deceased hostages. However, after returning the bodies of two more individuals on Wednesday, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said this would be the last transfer for now, a figure that falls significantly short of the total agreed upon.

The situation has intensified domestic pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza if the remains of all soldiers are not returned.Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains severe.

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has urged Israel to immediately open all border crossings for aid. This call came as reports of ceasefire violations emerged, with Gaza’s civil defence agency stating that Israeli fire killed three Palestinians. The Israeli military responded that its troops had struck suspects who crossed into a restricted zone in violation of the agreement.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar