Trump says Israel can return to Gaza ‘as soon as I say the word’ over Hamas disarmament and body delays

Hamas has handed over the remains of two additional deceased Israeli hostages, stating it had returned all bodies it could access and would require specialised equipment to retrieve the rest from the ruins of Gaza. 

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would consider allowing Israel to resume a military campaign in the Gaza Strip if Hamas fails to implement the terms of his ceasefire agreement.

“What’s going on with Hamas – that’ll be straightened out quickly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview.

“Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap out of them, they’d do that,” Trump responded when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm.

“I had to hold them back,” he added.

Trump said the release of 20 living Israeli hostages was “paramount,” but Hamas must now fulfill its commitment to return the remains of others and disarm.

The Palestinian group, meanwhile, said Wednesday that it will hand over the remains of two more Israeli captives in Gaza later under the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said the bodies would be transferred at 10 pm local time (1900GMT), adding that it has “abided by what was agreed upon, delivering all living captives it held and all the bodies it was able to reach.”

Hamas said recovering the remaining bodies “requires significant effort and specialized equipment” and that it is “working hard to close this file.”

Last week, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a plan he laid out Sept. 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip. The first phase of the deal came into force on Friday.

Under the deal, Hamas released 20 living Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of eight captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Phase two of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza, without Hamas’ participation, the formation of a multinational force and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed over 67,900 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it largely uninhabitable.

Israel warns of renewed war

The handover late on Wednesday brought the total number of deceased hostages returned by Hamas to nine—seven of the 28 known deceased hostages, plus an eighth body that Israel said was not that of a former captive. The deal, brokered by US President Donald Trump, has already seen Hamas release 20 surviving Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, threatened on Wednesday to resume military action. “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,” a statement from his office said.

US President Trump, seeking to maintain pressure on Hamas, said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting if the militant group fails to uphold its end of the deal. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” Trump told CNN. “If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, they’d do that.”

Future of the truce

The body dispute, along with the issue of Hamas’s disarmament, continues to pose a risk to the ceasefire deal. Israel has demanded that the next phase of the truce calls for Hamas to disarm and cede power, a demand the militant group has refused, instead reasserting its authority with a security crackdown, including public executions and clashes with local clans.

Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli fire killed three Palestinians, including two trying to reach their homes in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighbourhood. The Israeli military said “several suspects were identified crossing the yellow line and approaching” troops in northern Gaza, referring to the agreed-upon line Israeli forces have pulled back to under the ceasefire. The “yellow line” refers to the initial withdrawal boundary agreed upon in the deal, under which Israeli forces pulled back from parts of central Gaza City and other areas, still controlling an estimated 53-58% of the territory. The military has stated that fire is authorised along this line only to deter immediate threats.