TRANSCRIPT:
Israel is calling on Hamas to uphold its side of the ceasefire deal and release the bodies of hostages still held in Gaza.
Israeli government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian says two sets of remains had been identified overnight as belonging to 27-year-old Inbar Hayman and 39-year-old Warrant Officer Muhammad al-Atresh, who were killed during the 7th of October 2023 attacks.
“As our 20 living, released hostages are now on the pathway to rehabilitation, both physically and mentally, last night, the Red Cross received two coffins from Hamas containing the remains of two of our fallen hostages. We are demanding Hamas release the remaining hostages, the 19 hostages whose bodies are still being held inside of the Gaza Strip. A callous, barbaric terror group is continuing to hold onto these bodies, as their families innocently wait to give their loved ones a dignified Jewish burial.”
US President Donald Trump earlier threatened to allow Israel to resume fighting if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the agreement.
Ms Bedrosian also cited remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who she says had personally promised families of the hostages that all would be returned home.
“The prime minister said the families of the hostages have embraced him and he has embraced them. So has the state of Israel and is committed to returning all of them, returning all of them home, every single one of them.”
And she insisted Israel was keeping to its commitments under the ceasefire, while waiting for Hamas to do the same.
"Aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip as usual. And as part of the agreement, the Rafah crossing will be open in the future. We are in close contact with our partners and have done our part of this agreement, like I continue to reiterate. Now we're calling on Hamas to do everything on their side to uphold this agreement as well. The humanitarian aid continues to go through, specifically in the Kerem Shalom crossing.”
Hamas says it cannot return all the bodies of deceased hostages because many remains are inaccessible; either lost in the rubble, destroyed by bombing, or mixed up and unrecoverable under current conditions.
But in Israel, there has been a moment of joy.
Nimrod Cohen, one of the last hostages released by Hamas, has returned to his home in Rehovot after nearly two years in captivity.
The 21-year-old had little to say.
REPORTER: “Can you say one thing in English please? How do you feel today?"
NIMROD: "I feel very good.”
His mother, Viki Cohen, was emotional as she spoke to reporters.
“I’m happy. I’m glad to come back home with Nimrod, my son.”
Among the crowd was Gil Benjamin, whose 53-year-old father, Ron Benjamin, was kidnapped on the 7th of October.
“My father, unfortunately, was also kidnapped on October 7th, Ron Benjamin, but he returned in a coffin. As one united family, we came to bring joy to Nimrod’s family and celebrate with him. So I really tried to put the sorrow aside during these days, even though the pain and the sting for us will never go away. I’m here to remind everyone that there are still bodies that need to be returned so their families can have closure, just like we brought him back for burial in the operation. That’s it. It’s very important.”
Attention is also turning to the ongoing need for humanitarian assistance.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has told an Italian news agency the Rafah crossing will probably be open on Sunday, but other Israeli officials say coordination is still underway with Egypt to decide on when the crossing should be reopened for the movement of people.
Israel's military coordination agency, COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), says Rafah would eventually reopen for people, but not for aid, as that was never part of the truce deal.
In the meantime, the United Nations says most of Gaza’s 2.2 million people are now homeless, with food, fuel, and clean water still critically short.
In Khan Younis, thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in tents, dependent on irregular aid and unsafe water.
Adel al-Semairy is among them, and says the truce has done little to ease their suffering.
“The real war started after the war, I believe, because today our suffering has increased. We are waiting for the aid, there is none. There are logistical problems. Water and the equipment which they said will enter to remove the rubble, none of this entered.”
He says that rumours of renewed fighting have caused deep anxiety.
“After what we heard yesterday about the threats that are taking place, we are worried that the ceasefire might collapse at any moment. Yesterday, people were saying the Israeli government will resume the war in Gaza, when people heard this talk, they got tired, they have no energy left.”
Another displaced man, Khairy Zohair, says even the momentary joy of hearing about the ceasefire has vanished.
“Once the borders were opened, we were happy and we started clapping and cheering, saying that the war stopped and yes, we were happy. But the next day, there are no signs or a proof that the war stopped, there is nothing. What would a displaced person wait for? We have been displaced for two years now, what can we do? What is our fault? What did we do?”
Meanwhile, Australia says it has no plans to send its soldiers to join an international stabilisation force in the Middle East, as discussions continue about the future of Gaza post-ceasefire.
Australia’s Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones, is leading contingency planning in case the Albanese government changes its mind about committing personnel.
But although there are no current plans, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Wayne Swan, has told Channel 9's Today show that Australia's participation makes sense.
"You know, we've expressed our views strongly about Gaza. We've all been horrified by what has happened. Every Australian has an opinion about it, and as a good international citizen we could contribute to a peacekeeping force, and that would be entirely consistent with the best traditions of the Australian military."
For now, the ceasefire remains intact, but fragile.
Aid is moving, yet limited.
Families are reuniting, yet mourning.
And in Gaza, two years of destruction have left wounds far deeper than Hamas' tunnels.
For now, both sides say they’re committed to the truce.
But on the ground, the line between war and peace remains as ambiguous as ever.
