Senior US advisors say they have entered into the next phase of President Trump’s peace deal in Gaza as families wait for the return of all the bodies of hostages.
The advisors attested Wednesday to their belief that both Israel and Hamas are abiding within the terms of the peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump thus far, and projected optimism about the long-term future of Israel and Gaza — despite growing tensions on both sides of the conflict.
“President Trump worked very, very hard to, you know, make this possible, along with the mediators. Now we're entering into a phase where we have to figure out what comes next,” one advisor, granted anonymity to discuss the intricacies of the Trump administration’s role in mediating the conflict, told reporters. “We are seeing different actions on all sides that obviously President Trump and his team are working very hard to minimize. And then, in addition to that, make sure the aid goes in and that the parts of the agreement that that were agreed to are fulfilled, you know, namely, the recovery of the bodies.”
Despite Hamas releasing all 20 living hostages to the Red Cross as per the terms of the agreement, and Israel in turn releasing thousands of Palestinian prisoners, Hamas has yet to turn over all 28 bodes of deceased hostages.
“Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned,” point four of the publicly released plan noted.
As of Wednesday evening, however, only 10 such deceased bodies had been returned to Israel, and one, according to the IDF, “does not match any of the hostages.” The two bodies most recently returned to Israel had yet to undergo identity verification.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages,” the IDF said in a statement Wednesday morning.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, said in a brief statement after returning the two coffins on Wednesday that officials had returned all living hostage and “the bodies it can access.”
“As for the remaining bodies, they require significant efforts and special equipment to search for and retrieve them, and we are making great efforts to close this file,” the statement noted.
Senior U.S. advisors said they’d been in touch with all of the families still waiting for the return of their deceased loved ones to stress the message: “No one's getting left behind.”
In recent days, the families of those held hostage by Hamas sent a letter to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expressing alarm at the slow pace with which deceased bodies were being returned.
“How can we accept that the others remain behind?” they wrote. “We must ensure that all remaining hostages come home. We cannot rest, and we know you will not rest, until every last hostage is returned.”
Senior U.S. advisors appeared to suggest Hamas was operating within the terms of the deal, noting the US was working with mediators, passing on Israeli intelligence. The advisor also pushed back on reports that Israel might be seeking to limit the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza, noting there have been no cuts nor intention to do so.
“I think the understanding we had with [Hamas] was we'd get all the live hostage hostages out, which they did honor that,” one advisor said. “Right now, we have a mechanism in place where we're working closely with mediators and with them to do our best to get as many bodies out as possible.”
Another senior U.S. advisor suggested the release of all deceased bodies prior to the ceasefire or within the 72-hour timeframe would have been “almost impossible,” and stressed officials were in talks with other foreign governments willing to send experts to help retrieve those still outstanding, including Turkey. With greater control of the area, the advisor noted it will allow them to do more with resources in the area described as “pulverized” with unexploded ordinances on debris, and presumably bodies under it. One proposal under discussion was a program to provide paid “rewards” for individuals within Gaza who could help locate hostages’ bodies.
“Nobody's getting left behind, as I said, and we really mean that,” the advisor said.
Gazan civilians have also been subjected to violence from Hamas militants and other gangs in the region since the ceasefire took effect, prompting U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper — overseeing U.S. military operations in the region and the establishment of a joint task force with to help with oversight and supervision — to speak out.
“We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” Cooper said in a statement.
The senior U.S. advisors said officials were in talks with Israel about establishing a potential “safe zone” behind Israeli forces' yellow line of withdrawal for Gazans concerned about their safety.
"Israel is very committed to creating safety for the people of Gaza who want to live in peace. And so this is a new line of effort that that we requested, and it was met with a lot of enthusiasm from Israel to try to set this up,” one advisor said in response to Scripps News’ questions.
And despite some Israeli officials’ concerns that Hamas may not fully demilitarize and relinquish their weapons, as required in the peace deal, President Trump said he did not believe the US military would be needed, but noted “…they have to do it, and if they don't do it, we'll do it,” suggesting other nations were also bought in on the goal.
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“There's a lot of disappointment and outrage when only four bodies were returned, and they could have just said, you know, we're moving on, but they return bodies the next day, and then the next day, and you know, as quickly as we give them intelligence, again, they're, maneuvering around to do the best we can, and so we continue to hear from them that they intend to honor the deal, and they want to, they want to see the deal, you know, completed in that regard,” one advisor said.
The withdrawal of Israeli forces is tied to the demilitarization of Gaza, according to Trump’s 20 point plan. One advisor noted of demilitarization that it’s a “...complex dynamic but the sentiment from the Arab mediators and from even Hamas is that they still want to continue to work together to find a way to do it."
Advisors said the International Stabilization Force is also starting to be constructed, noting countries have raised their hand, pointing to conversations with Indonesia, Emirates, Egypt, Qatar and Azerbaijan as examples.
The senior U.S. advisors, meanwhile, said conversations were already underway about what the future of governance would look like within Gaza — pointing to the peace plan’s requirements for a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” to be formed, an international board of peace chaired by Trump ultimately selecting representatives.
“There's actually been a lot of people reaching out, and we're going slowly on that,” one advisor said. “I think it could be very successful if you get the right leaders who are doing it for the right reasons and trying to create a new system compared to the old patronage and corrupt systems that have failed.”
Advisors also stressed that as they look to rebuild areas free of Hamas and terror, that Gazans will not be force to leave.
While the advisors noted efforts by Hamas to reconstitute would be a violation of the agreement, they’re “...not at a point yet where anyone feels like the agreement has been violated.”
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