Though most Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees have now been returned, Hamas still refuses to disarm unless Israel withdraws all troops from Gaza, Good Morning Britain reports
US President Donald Trump has said his focus is on “rebuilding Gaza” following the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees under the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
Key challenges remain, however, including questions over the future of Palestinian statehood, whether Hamas will disarm, and who will assume control of Gaza once the conflict ends.
Part of the ceasefire agreement is that Israel would pull back in Gaza to the so-called yellow line where its forces were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City in the strip’s north.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said troops in the northern Gaza Strip had “opened fire to remove the threat” of several people approaching them across the “yellow line” and not complying with orders to stop. It didn’t immediately comment on any casualties in the incident.
“After multiple attempts to distance them, the suspects refused to comply, prompting troops to open fire to remove the threat,” the IDF said in a statement.
Hamas released the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages on Monday as part of the ceasefire deal, but only returned the bodies of four of the 28 deceased captives, prompting some Israeli groups to call for the deal to be suspended.
The IDF confirmed that two of the four dead hostages were 26-year-old Guy Illuz and 23-year-old Bipin Joshi.
Illuz died from wounds sustained at the Nova music festival during the October 7 attack in 2023, after reportedly being denied medical treatment while in Hamas captivity, while Joshi was murdered during the early months of the war.
The names of the other two deceased hostages have not yet been made public, as their families have not cleared their release.
Israel also freed around 1,900 Palestinian detainees, including 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis and 1,700 others who had been captured from Gaza during the war and held without charge.
Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One returning from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on Monday, where world leaders gathered to mark an agreement on the war in Gaza.
Asked whether the deal could pave the way for a Palestinian state, Trump said: “We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza.
“I’m not talking about single state or double state or two-state. We’re talking about the rebuilding of Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, that he remains “committed to this peace”, raising hopes the ceasefire could become permanent.
Before travelling to Egypt, Trump visited Israel to mark the start of the truce and addressed the Knesset.
He said it was an “incredible triumph for Israel and the world” and described Netanyahu as “a man of exceptional courage and patriotism”.
Released Palestinians were met by a cheering crowd in the West Bank
He added: “Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms.
“Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was also among the world leaders gathered in Egypt, describing it as a “historic day”.
Donald Trump posing with the signed agreement during the Sharm El Sheikh summit
Donald Trump poses with the signed agreement during the Sharm El Sheikh peace summit
Credit: PA
Starmer said: “What happens tomorrow really matters, and that’s why, what I’ve been discussing with leaders all day is, what part can we play?
“And we, the United Kingdom in particular, I think, can play a part in monitoring the ceasefire, but also decommissioning the capability of Hamas and their weaponry drawing on our experience in Northern Ireland.
“So the question today has already moved to, how do we implement how do we make sure this moves forward? It’s really important we keep that focus. We mustn’t have any missteps now.”
Despite Trump’s optimism, many tough issues remain
Among the most difficult issues still to be resolved is Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm, a step the group has firmly refused. Hamas insists that Israel must first withdraw all its troops from Gaza.
So far, Israeli forces have pulled back from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas, but remain in parts of Rafah, in northern towns, and along Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains uncertain. Under a US-backed proposal, an international body would oversee the territory, with Palestinian technocrats managing daily affairs.
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Hamas has said Gaza’s leadership should instead be determined by Palestinians themselves.
Trump has suggested that former Prime Minister Tony Blair could serve on the international board overseeing Gaza.
The plan also envisions a potential role for Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, long opposed by Netanyahu, but only after significant internal reforms.
It further proposes an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, supported by Palestinian police, with Israeli troops withdrawing as those forces are deployed.
Around 200 US troops are currently in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The framework also references the possibility of a future Palestinian state, an idea that Netanyahu continues to reject outright.
