AMNA NAWAZ: Well, with Hamas yet to return all the# hostage remains as part of this first phase of the## cease-fire deal, we turn now to Yousef Munayyer.# He's the head of the Palestine-Israel Program and## senior fellow at the Arab Center in Washington,# D.C.

That's a nonprofit research group.

Yousef, welcome to the show.

You heard Leila report there Hamas# say they don't know where .. bodies are.

What should we understand# about why they don't know and if they## will be able to make good on the# pledge to return all the remains.

YOUSEF MUNAYYER, Executive Director, Arab Center# Washington, D.C.

: Right.

Thank you for having me.

I mean, the first thing I would say is, this was# actually largely expected.

In the agreement that## was hammered out in Cairo prior to the peace# summit the other day, where Donald Trump met## with all these global leaders to declare an end# to the war, there was a detailed agreement about## this part of the process that the Israelis came# to along with the Palestinians and the mediators.

And part of that agreement actually delineated# what would happen with regards to the remains## of Israeli captives that were still inside Gaza.# And the Palestinians made it very clear at that## point that they're not in possession of all of# these remains and that it will take some time.

So a mechanism was established to share# information between the different parties, the## Palestinians on the ground, the mediators and the# Red Cross, about what they know of these remains,## where they are, how they're trying to reach# them.

And that was agreed upon at that point.

So what's concerning now is that the Israelis# seem to be acting as if this was a surprise,## when in fact we knew that this was going# to be an immense challenge.

Remember,## some 83 percent of structures in the Gaza# Strip have been partially or completely## destroyed, and there's very little heavy# equipment with which to do the searching.

So this is a big reason why# we're at this place today.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Yousef, a lot# of questions, it sounds like,## on what's been publicly said# and what's privately agreed to,## but a lot of questions around whether or# not the remaining bodies will be returned.

I do want to ask you about what we have# seen just in the last couple of days on## the ground in Gaza, which is Hamas forces# in uniform standing guard in some areas,## also engaging in gun battles with people who# don't support them, and also horrifying video of## them rounding up and executing publicly people# who they accuse of collaborating with Israel.

Is all of that sanctioned# activity by the same Hamas## leadership that signed on to this cease-fire deal?

YOUSEF MUNAYYER: Well, I certainly cannot# speak for them.

They would have to speak## on that.

And I'm not sure that I have# seen any statement in relation to that.

What I can tell you is that extrajudicial# assassinations or killings are clearly violations## of international law in pretty much every# circumstance.

At the same time, the situation## in Gaza is extremely fragile and dangerous.

There# is no real authority in Gaza right now, except## for the pieces of what's left of the previous# Hamas authority on the ground in the Gaza Strip.

And there are a large number of vigilantes,## gangs, groups that have been involved# in other extreme activity, groups that## have been collaborating with the Israelis and# implicated in other human rights violations.

And we also have to keep in mind, over the last# two years, police stations in the Gaza Strip have## been targeted and destroyed.

Courthouses have been# targeted and destroyed.

Members of the civilian## police force in Gaza, some 1,500 of them, have# been killed by the Israeli military.

So it's not## surprising at this point that law enforcement# is not exactly present in the Gaza Strip or## behaving in the ways we would normally expect in# a situation where there is control and no war.

So, obviously, these scenes are very# disturbing.

And it's incumbent, I think,## on all parties to act within the bounds of# international law.

But it's going to be a## very difficult situation in Gaza until there# is an authority or government established## that can take the reins of# the situation on the ground.

AMNA NAWAZ: A very tenuous peace# deal in place and, as you note,## a lot of questions ahead, let alone# disarmament, governance down the line.

Yousef Munayyer from the Palestine-Israel# Program at the Arab Center in Washington,## D.C., thank you so much for joining us.

YOUSEF MUNAYYER: Thank you.