Aid trucks began moving into Gaza on Wednesday as Israel prepared to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, after Hamas handed over more bodies of hostages — a dispute over returns that threatened to destabilise a fragile ceasefire.
Israeli officials said several coffins arrived in northern Gaza late on Wednesday for forensic identification, and preparations were underway to allow Gazans to cross via Rafah on Thursday. A second Israeli official said up to 600 aid trucks were expected to enter the enclave.
The developments followed criticism from Israel that Hamas was returning remains too slowly — a point of tension that risked unraveling the U.S.-brokered truce that has halted two years of intense fighting and secured the release of all living hostages.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Hamas it must disarm or face renewed Israeli operations, saying in a call with CNN that he might permit Israeli forces to resume fighting if the group failed to honour the deal. “Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word,” he said.
The flow of bodies has been complicated by the difficulty of locating remains amid rubble, a senior U.S. adviser said, adding that some bodies are believed to be buried under debris. Hamas said it has handed over all living captives and the remains it had been able to retrieve, and that finding other bodies would require significant effort and equipment.
Under the ceasefire arrangements, Israel is also to return the bodies of hundreds of Palestinians; Palestinian health officials said the first group of 45 Palestinian bodies was handed over on Tuesday and was undergoing identification.
The enclave faces a severe humanitarian crisis after prolonged conflict, with large-scale displacement, acute food shortages and overwhelmed health services. Reuters footage showed trucks crossing from Egypt into Rafah at dawn, some carrying fuel and others pallets of aid — though it was not immediately clear whether the convoy would complete its entry as part of the planned 600-truck daily flow.
U.S. and international planners are discussing a multinational “stabilisation” force and other measures to secure basic services in Gaza, a senior U.S. adviser said. Washington has urged Hamas to suspend internal violence and to disarm, and the U.S. Central Command called on the group to stop attacks on civilians.
The security situation inside Gaza remains volatile. Hamas has carried out a security crackdown against local gangs and accused collaborators, including several public executions that drew condemnation from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli forces have largely pulled back to positions outside main urban areas, as outlined under the truce.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered preparations for a comprehensive plan for what he called the “total defeat” of Hamas should fighting resume, a ministry statement said. Hardline Israeli ministers have strongly criticised the aid deliveries and the ceasefire terms, underscoring the political strain on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
No independent verification was immediately available for some of the claims about the pace of returns, the number of bodies still in Gaza, or the exact number of trucks that crossed.