Trump-Gaza newest: US president warns that Hamas should disarm or ‘we will disarm them – perhaps violently’ | EUROtoday

Israel determined to proceed with opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and permitting the switch of humanitarian support into Gaza, after the return of the our bodies of 4 hostages, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday.

Israel cancelled deliberate measures in opposition to Hamas that included halving the variety of support vehicles getting into the enclave, it mentioned.

The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas got here underneath renewed pressure on Tuesday after Israel introduced it could reduce in half the variety of support vehicles permitted to enter Gaza.

The transfer adopted Israeli considerations that Hamas was delaying the return of the stays of useless hostages past the timeline agreed within the truce.

According to the United Nations’ humanitarian workplace, Israel’s army liaison physique, COGAT, notified them that solely 300 support vehicles can be allowed into the war-ravaged enclave every day, down from the 600 stipulated underneath the ceasefire phrases.

US officers have been additionally knowledgeable of the choice, three American sources instructed the Associated Press.

Israel’s authorities has not but commented publicly on the discount, however Hamas appeared to answer the mounting strain.

Donald Trump has mentioned he desires the deceased hostages in Gaza to be launched and warned Hamas that in the event that they “don’t disarm, we will disarm them”.

The US president was talking throughout a gathering within the White House with Argentinian president Javier Milei.

“If they don’t disarm, we will disarm them,” he said.

Trump said he communicated this to Hamas and they had agreed to disarm, as his 20-point peace proposal stated.

“I spoke to Hamas, and I mentioned, you are going to disarm, proper? Yes, sir, we will disarm. That’s what they instructed me,” Trump said, later clarifying that he passed the message through intermediaries.

Trump said he communicated this to Hamas and they had agreed to disarm, as his 20-point peace proposal stated.

The comments came as the Red Cross is believed to be at a meeting point where Hamas is set to return the bodies of four more hostages, meaning there would be 20 bodies remaining in Gaza.

Hamas released four more bodies of hostages, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday night, after the Israeli military ramped up pressure on the fragile ceasefire.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed late Tuesday that authorities received four deceased hostages that the Red Cross handed over to Israeli military authorities inside Gaza.

The bodies will be taken to the National Centre for Forensic Medicine where they will be identified and the families notified.

This latest transfer of remains comes a day after Israel received the bodies of four other dead hostages.

An Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing over remains more slowly than agreed.

“A new and beautiful day is rising and now the rebuilding begins,” Donald Trump told world leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, heralding the success of the first phase of his peace agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war.

If the “first phase” sought to address the key demands of both sides – namely a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the hostages to Israel – the second would focus on rebuilding the enclave in a way that guarantees lasting peace and security.

Trump acknowledged on Monday that the path to peace will be winding. The phases of the deal are “all a little bit mixed in with each other”, he said, assuring later that elements can still be taken “out of order in a positive way”.

Our foreign affairs reporter James Clark Reynolds writes:

Donald Trump has announced the beginning of phase two of a Gaza deal, amid a darkening outlook for the ceasefire agreement as Israel delays aid and Hamas tightened its grip on the enclave.

“ALL TWENTY HOSTAGES ARE BACK AND FEELING AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED,” the US president wrote on Truth Social.

“A big burden has been lifted, but the job IS NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!

“Phase Two begins right NOW!!!”

On Tuesday evening, a group of family members of the hostages gave statements at Ichilov Hospital.

Lishay Miran-Lavi, the wife of captivity survivor Omri Miran, thanked the Trump administration for their “determination” in bringing the hostages home.

“I am so thankful to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for being available for us, for opening up the White House to us at any time, even when no one else spoke to us,” she said.

“Your determination has brought us this wonderful moment.”

Speaking of Mr Miran, she said there were points where he “thought it was going to be over” and “thought the end was near”.

“In recent weeks, the fighting was right above his head in Gaza,” she added.

Viki Cohen, the mother of survivor Nimrod Cohen, said Monday was one of the “most emotional days of my life”.

She mentioned: “The anticipation, the anxiety, the uncertainty, it all became distilled in one single moment, a moment of great excitement.

“I cannot describe how moved I was in those moments when I was united with Nimrod. We did not say a single word. We just hugged each other and we just let the tears flow.”

She also thanked the Trump administration, who she said did “everything to make Nimrod come back to me”.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday criticised US president Donald Trump’s call for dialogue, accusing Washington of “hostile and legal behaviour” following his remarks to the Israeli parliament about being ready to strike a deal with Tehran.

In June, the US joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities after five rounds of indirect nuclear talks with Tehran that stalled over issues like domestic nuclear enrichment.

Western countries accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, but Tehran maintains its nuclear programme is only for civilian purposes.

The home secretary has been warned by Europe’s human rights watchdog that the UK “risks over-policing” Palestine Action protests.

Michael O’Flaherty, commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, has asked the government to ensure counter-terrorism laws do not “unnecessarily restrict freedom of peaceful assembly”.

He also called for a comprehensive review of the UK’s protest legislation following a range of recent and upcoming changes placing tighter restrictions demonstrations to ensure they comply with international human rights laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

It comes after 2,000 people have been arrested in a series of major protests over the decision to designate Palestine Action as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

Our crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin writes: