Israel Warns of Renewed Military Action if Hamas Violates Gaza Truce

Israel has threatened to resume its military campaign in Gaza if Hamas fails to comply with the terms of a United States–brokered ceasefire that temporarily halted months of devastating warfare.

The warning, issued Wednesday by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, came shortly after Hamas handed over the remains of two additional deceased Israeli hostages. The militant group said it had exhausted its ability to recover more bodies from Gaza’s ruins without specialized equipment.

Under the ongoing truce agreement negotiated by US President Donald Trump, Hamas has released 20 surviving hostages in exchange for the freedom of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Israel insists the militant faction must also return the remains of all deceased captives as part of the deal.

“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,” Katz’s office said in a statement.

Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, maintained that it had fulfilled its part of the accord. “The Resistance has handed over all living prisoners and the bodies we could access. Retrieving others requires heavy equipment and extensive efforts,” the group said.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, urged Israel to reopen all Gaza crossings immediately to allow food, medicine, and shelter supplies into the enclave. “The test is that we have children fed, anaesthetics in hospitals, and tents over people’s heads,” Fletcher said in Cairo before visiting the Rafah crossing.

Despite the ceasefire, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that Israeli fire killed three Palestinians on Wednesday as they attempted to return to their homes in Gaza City. The Israeli military said the men violated the ceasefire by crossing restricted areas.

The ceasefire, part of Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, also mandates the repatriation of 15 Palestinian bodies for every deceased Israeli hostage. Israel has so far returned 90 Palestinian bodies to southern Gaza hospitals, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Tensions remain fragile as humanitarian agencies warn of worsening famine conditions in the densely populated enclave, while Israel continues to insist that Hamas must disarm and play no role in Gaza’s future governance.