Trump urges return of Gaza hostages' bodies, says ‘job is not done’

“A big burden has been lifted, but the job IS NOT DONE,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that a “big burden” had been lifted, after the twenty Gaza hostages who were alive were released by Hamas.

Trump said that ‘Phase 2’ of his ‘Peace Plan’ had begun.(AFP)

“ALL TWENTY HOSTAGES ARE BACK AND FEELING AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that a "big burden has been lifted.

However, the US President asserted that the “job is not done”, adding that the mortal remains of the hostages who had died had not yet been returned.

“A big burden has been lifted, but the job IS NOT DONE. THE DEAD HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED, AS PROMISED!” Trump said, while adding that ‘Phase 2’ of his ‘Peace Plan’ had begun.

Israel received a batch of hostages released by Palestinian group Hamas after two years of captivity in Gaza, under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.

The 20 living hostages released by Gaza were exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Trump had on October 9 announced that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement on the “first phase” of the peace plan to stop the fighting in Gaza, and the release of hostages and prisoners.

The ceasefire plan had called for ““all hostages, alive and deceased” to be returned within 72 hours of the acceptance to the agreement. The plan further stated that if this did not happen, Hamas should share information about the remaining hostages and “exert maximum effort to ensure the fulfillment of these commitments as soon as possible”, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu said that news on the remaining dead hostages in Gaza was expected soon.

“We will soon receive news -- hopefully within hours -- about the return of additional fallen hostages,” AFP quoted Netanyahu as saying. The Israeli President further said they were “determined to bring everyone back”.

Netanyahu said this while visiting the freed hostages at a hospital in central Israel.