Hamas released the bodies of two Israeli hostages on Tuesday, as pressure mounts from the United States to avoid an escalation that could jeopardize the Gaza ceasefire.
US officials, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure a proportionate response to any ceasefire violations by Hamas, so as not to undermine the agreements reached.
The warning comes after violent clashes in recent days, with Israel striking several Hamas targets on Sunday, following a Hamas attack that killed two Israeli soldiers. However, Hamas denied involvement in the attack and attributed it to an independent guerrilla group.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas was violating the ceasefire and warned of swift action if the group did not change its behavior. He also said that several countries were ready to help destroy Hamas if the violations continued.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, following warnings from Trump, Hamas informed mediators that it would stop public executions of members of rival groups, citing pressure from Israel and stressing that such actions could provide a pretext for continued conflicts.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, in an interview with an Egyptian state channel on Monday, adopted a more diplomatic tone, stressing that the war was over and that Hamas was committed to the release of all the killed hostages.
“We are determined to keep this agreement,” al-Hayya said. “We want it to last.
