Netanyahu Vows to Continue Fight Against Terror as Tensions Rise Over Hostage Bodies

Published: 17 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. English Chronicle Online

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue Israel’s battle against terrorism “with full force” as anger mounts over Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of Israeli hostages in Gaza. His comments came during a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem marking the second Hebrew calendar anniversary of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack that killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw 251 others taken hostage.

The Israeli leader’s remarks followed the return of two more bodies by Hamas, identified as 22-year-old Inbar Hayman and Sergeant Major Muhammad al-Atarash. Their handover, supervised by masked Hamas gunmen in Gaza City and coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, brought the total number of bodies returned since Monday to nine out of the 28 agreed upon under last week’s ceasefire deal.

Despite the partial return, fury has erupted in Israel over Hamas’s inability to locate and hand over the remaining 19 bodies. Hamas insists it remains committed to the truce and accused Netanyahu’s government of hampering recovery efforts by denying access for heavy equipment and diggers to search rubble in Gaza. In footage broadcast by Al Jazeera, Hamas fighters were seen guarding bulldozers operating at night in Khan Younis as they continued the grim task of locating remains. Mediators have reportedly been provided with coordinates and aerial photos to aid the search.

The United States, meanwhile, has attempted to calm the situation. Two senior advisers to President Donald Trump said that while delays in body recoveries were unfortunate, Washington did not believe Hamas had violated the ceasefire agreement, noting that the militant group had acted “in good faith” by sharing detailed information through intermediaries. A leaked version of the deal, published in Israeli media, reportedly allows for delays due to the extensive destruction in Gaza.

Still, Netanyahu’s government has hinted at new punitive measures, including restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory. Addressing mourners at Mount Herzl cemetery, Netanyahu reaffirmed his resolve to retrieve the remaining hostages’ bodies and warned that Israel would not hesitate to resume full-scale military action if provoked again. “Our fight against terrorism will continue with full force,” he declared. “We will not allow evil to raise its head. We will exact the full price from anyone who harms us.”

The prime minister’s warning came amid renewed U.S. comments about the fragility of the ceasefire. President Trump suggested in a post on his Truth Social platform that Washington might support renewed fighting if Hamas “continues to kill people,” though he reiterated that American troops would not be deployed in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 67,967 people have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began in response to the 2023 attacks. The United Nations continues to regard the ministry’s casualty figures as broadly credible. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel has called on the government to “immediately halt the implementation” of the ceasefire deal until all the hostages’ bodies are returned.

Meanwhile, the exchange process continues on both sides. On Thursday, Israel returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians as part of the ongoing swap arrangement, bringing the total number of remains returned to 120. Gaza authorities are working to identify the deceased.

Attention has also turned to the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, which has remained closed since Israeli forces seized the area in May 2024. The latest ceasefire agreement states that Rafah will reopen under the same conditions as earlier in the year, allowing only humanitarian movement. An official from Cogat, the Israeli military body overseeing Palestinian territories, confirmed that the date for reopening Rafah “will be announced at a later stage,” pending coordination with Egyptian authorities. The official added that aid would continue entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing and other routes following strict Israeli security checks.

As tensions simmer, Israel finds itself navigating between domestic pressure for accountability, international mediation efforts, and the humanitarian complexities of a devastated Gaza. The fate of the remaining hostages—and the fragile truce designed to bring them home—remains a critical test for both the Israeli leadership and the broader prospects for regional stability.