Israel has issued a stark warning to Hamas, threatening to resume military operations in Gaza if the group fails to uphold the terms of the ongoing US-brokered ceasefire. The statement from Defence Minister Israel Katz&rsquo;s office came after Hamas handed over the remains of two more deceased hostages and claimed it could no longer retrieve additional bodies buried under the rubble without specialized equipment.
Under the truce agreement negotiated by US President Donald Trump, Hamas has so far released 20 surviving hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Katz warned that if Hamas &ldquo;refuses to comply with the agreement,&rdquo; Israel, in coordination with Washington, &ldquo;will resume fighting and act to achieve a total defeat of Hamas.&rdquo; The militant group, however, maintained that it had fulfilled its part of the deal, saying it had returned all living hostages and all the remains it could access.
Meanwhile, Israel transferred 45 Palestinian bodies from its custody to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza as part of the exchange formula, 15 Palestinian remains for every deceased Israeli hostage. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher urged Israel to open all border crossings to allow unrestricted aid into Gaza, warning that the humanitarian situation remained dire. &ldquo;We want it to happen immediately as part of this agreement,&rdquo; he said, calling for access through the Rafah crossing, Gaza&rsquo;s only outlet not controlled by Israel.
As both sides accuse each other of violating the fragile ceasefire, tensions are again on the rise. Israel reported killing three Palestinians in northern Gaza, saying they crossed the ceasefire line, a move it called a breach of the agreement. With famine already declared by the United Nations and political talks deadlocked over Hamas&rsquo;s disarmament, the truce appears to be hanging by a thread.

Israel Warns Hamas: Ceasefire at Breaking Point

Tensed as Israel threatens to resume war over Gaza truce breaches amid body exchanges

Israel Warns Hamas: Ceasefire at Breaking Point

Tensed as Israel threatens to resume war over Gaza truce breaches amid body exchanges

October 16, 2025 | 16:28 IST