The United States has sought to ease concerns over the stability of the Gaza ceasefire deal, despite delays by Hamas in returning the bodies of Israeli hostages. Washington insists that negotiations remain on track and that Hamas is still committed to fulfilling its obligations under the current phase of the peace plan.

As part of the first stage of the agreement, Hamas was required to release 20 living hostages and return the bodies of 28 others. While all 20 living captives have now been freed, only 11 bodies have been recovered so far — including two returned overnight, identified Thursday morning by Israeli authorities as Sergeant-Major Muhammad al-Atarash (39) and Inbar Hayman (27).

Hamas claims it is facing technical challenges in locating the remaining bodies and has reportedly requested specialist equipment to continue the search.

Despite the delay, senior U.S. advisers said Wednesday evening that talks with mediators remain “positive,” suggesting Hamas still intends to honour the deal in full.

Meanwhile, on the humanitarian front, Israel announced that preparations are underway to open the Rafah crossing, allowing some movement for Gazans. However, it emphasized that humanitarian aid will only be allowed through other, more tightly controlled checkpoints.

Independent reporting from inside Gaza remains severely limited, as Israel continues to bar international media from freely entering the territory.