Key challenges remain unresolved as tenuous Gaza cease-fire holds

from PressTV

The fragile cease-fire in Israel's two-year genocidal war on Gaza held firm Tuesday, a day after the return of the last 20 living Israeli captives from Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, though significant challenges remain unresolved.

The list of more immediate questions includes those on when Hamas will return to Israel the bodies of the 24 hostages believed to be dead in Gaza, as well as the health conditions of the released hostages and freed Palestinians.

 

Only four of the deceased hostages – whose release is also part of the first phase of the cease-fire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump – were turned over to Israeli authorities on Monday. On Tuesday, the Israeli military identified two of them - Guy Illouz from Israel and Bipin Joshi, a student from Nepal.

The two men were both in their 20s when they were taken captive during the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, incursion that ignited the war – Illouz from the Nova music festival and Joshi from a bomb shelter.

Israel said Illouz died of his wounds while being held captive without proper medical treatment, while Joshi died in captivity in the first months of the war – adding that the National Center of Forensic Medicine would later provide the final cause of death.

The freed Israeli hostages were in medical care on Tuesday and some families said it would be weeks before the men could go home. In the West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners were released, several were also taken to hospitals.

Separately, the Israeli military said troops in the northern Gaza Strip had "opened fire to remove the threat" of several people approaching them on Tuesday across the "yellow line" and not complying with orders to stop. It didn't immediately comment on any casualties in the incident...

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