Cracks emerge after Sharm el-Sheikh deal

Barely two days after the much-publicised peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is already showing signs of strain. Israeli officials have accused Hamas of stalling the return of hostages’ bodies, while reports from Gaza point to renewed clashes and mounting casualties.

President Trump’s mission to Israel and Egypt on Monday was a celebration of victory through strength. Israel drew strength from U.S. weapons. America showed its own power in the strike on Iran during the so-called “12-Day War.” Now the real test is whether strength can sustain peace.

This is an unnatural challenge for leaders like Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is equally difficult for Hamas and other militant groups whose power has historically stemmed from resistance.

Two issues now dominate the fragile post-war framework: the handover of hostages’ remains and the gradual disarmament of Hamas. The Washington Post highlighted Trump’s claim in Cairo that this was “the dawn of a new day in the Middle East,” though the paper cautioned it might yet prove “a false dawn.” Iranian outlet Tehran Times, for its part, derided Trump’s outreach to Iran as “an olive branch clenched in the wolf’s teeth.”

Hamas handed over four additional bodies on Tuesday, adding to the four returned on Monday, though one was reportedly misidentified. A further four are expected today, with sixteen still unaccounted for. The Red Crescent and Egyptian rescue teams say the recovery work is slow and perilous, with many remains buried under rubble. Israel has warned that humanitarian aid will be reduced if the repatriations lag behind schedule. Under the current deal, Israel returns ten Palestinian bodies for each Israeli hostage’s body recovered.

The question of disarmament looms even larger. Trump vowed that the United States would “disarm Hamas by force if necessary” if the group fails to comply, while Netanyahu promised to “unleash hell” should the ceasefire be broken. Though Trump claims to have received verbal assurances, Hamas has yet to sign a formal disarmament accord.

The New York Times offered a behind-the-scenes look at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit under the headline “A Great Day,”quoting Trump’s self-congratulatory remark. The paper described how coordinated pressure from Washington and key Arab capitals helped seal the Gaza ceasefire — the United States pressing Israel, and Arab governments pressing Hamas — proving that even the deepest divides can, at least temporarily, be bridged.

The Wall Street Journal painted a grim picture of life in post-war Gaza, reporting that Hamas has begun reprisals against rival factions and alleged collaborators. Gunfire and reports of public executions have stirred fears of escalating internal violence. “I hear gunfire everywhere,” one resident told the paper.