Israel accused Hamas on Monday of brazenly violating the first phase of the U.S.-brokered truce, releasing just four bodies of the 28 slain hostages it promised. The Donald Trump-backed deal, hailed as a historic breakthrough after two years of brutal war, saw the militant group return the final 20 living captives over the weekend, sparking cautious hope for peace. But the shortfall in deceased remains has ignited fury in Israel, with families demanding the deal's suspension and a harsh crackdown.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum erupted in outrage, calling for an immediate halt to the agreement until every fallen Israeli is accounted for. "Hamas's betrayal demands a severe response from Israel and mediators—agreements cut both ways," the group thundered in a statement. They argued that partial compliance undermines the truce's integrity, urging Jerusalem to withhold its end of the bargain, including the release of 250 long-term Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 war detainees. Protests swelled outside Netanyahu's office, with banners reading "No Deal Without the Dead," as relatives shared gut-wrenching stories of loss.

The four bodies handed over—Yossi Sharabi, 53; Daniel Perez, 22; Guy Illouz, 32; and Bipin Joshi, 28—carry tales of unimaginable horror from the October 7, 2023, Hamas rampage. Sharabi, snatched from Kibbutz Be'eri alongside his brother Eli (freed earlier), endured months of captivity before his death. Perez, a heroic platoon commander in the elite 7th Armoured Brigade, fell defending his unit. Illouz, kidnapped at the Nova music festival, perished in a Gaza hospital due to denied medical care, per reports. Joshi, a Nepali student worker on an Israeli farm, became an overlooked victim—his fate unconfirmed until now, highlighting the war's global toll.

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Hamas shrugged off the uproar, telling Qatari and Egyptian go-betweens it lacks intel on the remaining 24 bodies' locations amid Gaza's rubble-strewn chaos. The group claimed good-faith efforts but blamed Israeli airstrikes for complicating recovery. Israeli officials, however, dismissed the excuse as a stalling tactic, vowing forensic scrutiny at Abu Kabir Institute for civilians and Shura Camp for soldiers—after sappers clear potential booby traps. Netanyahu's cabinet, fresh from approving the truce, now weighs escalation, with hardliners like Itamar Ben-Gvir pushing to resume operations if full compliance isn't met by week's end.

As aid trucks rumble into Gaza for the first time in months and displaced Palestinians trickle north, the standoff threatens to unravel Trump's "historic dawn." U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who inked the pact alongside Jared Kushner, urged restraint, but whispers of Phase Two—full IDF withdrawal and permanent peace—grow fainter. With over 42,000 Palestinian deaths and 1,200 Israelis lost since 2023, this glitch tests the deal's resilience.

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