Hostage forum urges Israel to delay next stages of truce if Hamas fails to return bodies

An Israeli group campaigning for the return of all hostages held in Gaza on Thursday demanded that the government delay implementing the next stages of the truce if Hamas fails to return the remaining captives' bodies.

In a statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the Israeli government to "immediately halt the implementation of any further stages of the agreement as long as Hamas continues to blatantly violate its obligations regarding the return of all hostages and the remains of the victims".

According to the framework outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump, the next phases of the truce include, among other things, offering amnesty to Hamas leaders who decommission their weapons.