Trump hints at 'action' if Hamas doesn't return hostage bodies

Israel handed over bodies of 30 other Palestinian prisoners to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as a part of the ceasefire agreement, according to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.

Israel has now returned 165 Palestinian bodies, according to the enclave's government media office.

Not all of the Palestinian bodies returned by Israel could be identified by their families "due to the severe circumstances" surrounding their deaths, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense report on Wednesday.

A collective funeral ceremony was held for 54 unidentified Palestinians on Wednesday in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, as the Civil Defense reported.

Signs of abuse, beating, handcuffing, and blindfolding, and hanging on the neck were seen on the returned bodies, according to the Gaza Media Office and the Gaza Ministry of Health.

Rejecting reports of any torture signs, the Israeli military told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday that "the IDF did not tie any bodies prior to their release to the Strip," adding that they operate "strictly in accordance with international law."

Moureen Kaki, an American-Palestinian aid worker who examined living Palestinian prisoners and detainees upon their return to the Gaza Strip after the peace deal, told ABC News last week that all of 35 prisoners who talked to her had "experienced torture,” while in Israeli custody.

Some said they were beaten by Israeli soldiers “as early as two hours before their arrival into Gaza when they were waiting on the bus,” Kaki said. She added that three Palestinian men had open gunshot wounds from the last three weeks at the time.

-ABC News' Diaa Ostaz, Samy Zyara, Camilla Alcini, Nasser Atta, Jordana Miller, Somayeh Malekian

Vice President JD Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, to discuss American-Israeli partnership, and next steps for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"These days of destiny" are what Vance and Netanyahu are calling this stage of the Gaza peace plan, hinting at the massive undertaking that must happen to "disarm Hamas" and "rebuild Gaza."

"We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel," Vance said.

Both leaders also commented on suggestions that either Israel controls the United States -- or that the United States controls Israel. Netanyahu called the assumption "hogwash" and reaffirmed that both the United States and Israel are committed to a "partnership" even if they have "disagreements, here and there."

"We have a partnership, an alliance of partners who share common values, common goals. We can have discussions," he said. "We can have disagreements here and there. But on the whole, I have to say that in the past year, we've had agreement."

Vance added to the prime minister's comments, saying that Israel is not a client or vassal state, but is still committing to the partnership between the United States and Israel. He added that he sees Israel playing a leadership role in the Middle East and North Africa, so that "the United States can care less about the Middle East."

Vance said he remains hopeful that the Israel-Hamas ceasefire will hold, but said that there will be a lot of work ahead.

"It's not easy. I never said it was easy, but what I am is optimistic that the cease fire is going to hold and that we can actually build a better future in the entire Middle East," Vance said.

-ABC News' Alex Ederson and Somayeh Malekian

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, welcomed on Wednesday U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, the office said.

Vance, along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are in Israel for high-level meetings, as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continues. Both sides have accused the other of violations. Israel has said Hamas is delaying return of some hostage remains, a claim Hamas has denied.

The vice president on Tuesday praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts brokering that truce, saying also that the administration would continue pushing for Hamas to return each of the 13 remaining deceased hostages.

"It is a focus of everybody here to get those bodies back home to their families so that they can have a proper burial ... this is going to take a little bit of time," Vance said.

He added that "very bad things are going to happen" if Hamas doesn't respect the terms of the truce.

-ABC News' Somayeh Malekian, Jordana Miller and Kevin Shalvey

The second body of a hostage returned to the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday has been identified as Sgt. Maj. Tamir Adar.

Israeli officials said Adar was the deputy chief security coordinator and a member of the emergency squad at the Nir Oz kibbutz, who died on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, before his body was taken into Gaza.

Adar was 38 years old at the time of his death, according to the IDF. He is survived by his wife and two children, parents, two brothers and a sister.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky