Amid the tense calm that has engulfed the Gaza Strip, Hamas today handed over the bodies of three Israeli hostages, including – according to authorities – that of Colonel Assaf Hamami, killed during the attack on Kibbutz Nirim on October 7, 2023. To recover the bodies, some militants were authorized by the IDF to enter the Israeli-controlled area, beyond the so-called Yellow Line, near Khan Yunis, accompanied by representatives of the Red Cross.
But the sticking points are different: according to Al Jazeera, Hamas has requested a pass to allow its men, still hiding in the Rafah tunnels, to surrender and cross the Yellow Line unharmed under Red Cross escort. This is a proposal that, some sources report, the United States has included in ongoing talks, but which Israel has firmly rejected, deeming it unacceptable.
The back-and-forth between Hamas and Washington is further aggravating the tension. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) accuses the group of looting trucks carrying humanitarian aid destined for the civilian population, citing drone footage. "Hamas continues to deprive the people of Gaza of desperately needed humanitarian aid," commented US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "This accusation is completely false and fabricated from the ground up," he responded.
(Unioneonline)