Israel is weighing a series of punitive steps against Hamas over its delay in returning the deceased hostages. Among the proposed measures are moving the yellow line westward, effectively expanding Israeli-controlled territory, re-entering the Netzarim Corridor to restrict Palestinian movement, limiting aid convoys and product imports, and continuing the closure of the Rafah Crossing.
These measures are being discussed in coordination with the United States, which has not ruled them out but requested more time before implementation. In talks between Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Dermer warned of the erosion of American deterrence after Hamas defied US President Donald Trump's ultimatum.
The ultimatum demanding the return of all deceased hostages expired at midnight, but Hamas still holds 13 hostages who were killed in captivity. Reliable Israeli intelligence shared with the Americans indicates that Hamas has access to at least five additional deceased hostages. Other estimates put the figure at ten, including Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, and Col. Asaf Hamami, commander of the IDF's southern brigade near the Gaza border, who was killed on Oct. 7.
Hamas considers the deceased hostages to be of high value and uses them as bargaining chips, as the terrorist organization prefers to retain them for the next phase of negotiations. Other hostages killed in captivity regarded as particularly significant include Capt. Omer Neutra and Sgt. Itai Chen, tank crewmen who were also killed on Oct. 7.
A diplomatic source involved in the talks said President Trump and envoys Witkoff and Kushner demanded that Hamas immediately return the deceased hostages who held American citizenship. According to the source, if Egypt and Qatar fail to produce results in the coming days, all stages of the plan will be frozen—except for humanitarian aid to civilians in Israeli-controlled areas.
Meanwhile, search operations for the deceased hostages continue at several sites across the Gaza Strip. The searches are being conducted by joint teams, mostly Egyptian with participation from Red Cross representatives. Israel has authorized these teams to enter areas under its control, accompanied by unarmed Hamas personnel, for targeted searches, including at a cemetery between the Shujaiyya and Tuffah neighborhoods in eastern Gaza City. Hamas claimed that one deceased hostage had been found during the searches and pledged to transfer it to Israel.
An Israeli official said Hamas' conduct shows that it has no intention of relinquishing control of the Gaza Strip but is instead trying to buy time and consolidate power while using Egyptian and Qatari mediation to secure concessions on demilitarization and its removal from power.
Despite ongoing negotiations, terrorist cells from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad continue to attack IDF forces. In one incident east of Khan Younis, inside an Israeli-controlled area, a squad emerged from a tunnel and was eliminated by Israeli fire. Hamas claimed the assailants were not acting under its leadership's orders, a claim Israel rejected.
The US accepts Israel's position, largely due to close intelligence cooperation. At the multinational base in Kiryat Gat, under American command, a joint operations center has been established to integrate intelligence from Israel and the US. The center connects to drones operated by both countries, providing real-time visual intelligence over Gaza. Separate floors have been designated for American and Israeli use, while other multinational forces—from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, and the United Kingdom—operate in separate wings and receive filtered briefings.
