Israel is conducting quiet diplomacy in an attempt to bring Hamas to fulfill its part of the agreement and return the remains of 24 hostages still in Gaza. During negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, Hamas claimed it knew the locations of about half of the deceased, and the assessment was that they would return between a single-digit number to 15 of them – when in practice they only released four bodies. Israel is working with Qatar, Egypt, the US and Turkey, and is prepared to implement the sanctions it has in the agreement – delaying Gaza’s reconstruction; bringing in caravans and heavy equipment; and they are even discussing the possibility of not opening the Rafah crossing and not transferring aid in full.
