Truce holds despite slow return of remains

Hamas transfers four more hostages' bodies amid Israeli threat to halve Gaza aid flow.

- BY SAM MEDNICK AND GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO

HAMAS has said recovering the remains of hostages is a challenge because of Gaza's destruction. Above, tents for the displaced in Mawasi.

(MUHAMMED ESIAYEH Anatolu)

Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing over remains slower than agreed.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said late Tuesday that it handed over to Israeli authorities four deceased hostages “in line with the ceasefire agreement.” This latest transfer comes a day after Israel received the remains of another four hostages.

The United Nations’ humanitarian office in famine-stricken Gaza received word of the humanitarian aid cuts from the Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory, according to spokesperson Olga Cherevko. In its notification, the agency known as COGAT said it would allow 300 trucks a day instead of the 600 called for under the deal.

U.S. officials were also notified, according to three Associated Press sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

President Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory.

Trump also warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”

A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israel's release of about 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire’s first phase.