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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used a Sunday cabinet meeting to push back on recent suggestions that the U.S. is dictating security policy on Gaza.

"Israel is an independent state, the United States is an independent state," Netanyahu said.

"The relations between us are those of partners," he said, adding, "I want to make one thing clear -- it is our own security policy. We are not prepared to tolerate attacks against us, we respond according to our own discretion against attacks, as we have seen in Lebanon and in Gaza."

Netanyahu also said Israel is not seeking approval for military attacks and addressed the issue of international teams meant to monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza.

"We control our own security and we have made it clear to the international forces that Israel will determine which forces are acceptable to us, and that is how we operate and will continue to operate," he said.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Victoria Beaule

President Donald Trump pressed Hamas to return the bodies of all deceased hostages or face "action" from nations involved in the Gaza ceasefire plan.

"We have a very strong PEACE in the Middle East, and I believe it has a good chance of being EVERLASTING," Trump wrote in a Saturday social media post.

"Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action," Trump added.

The bodies of 13 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza. Hamas committed to returning all living and deceased captives being held in the strip as part of the ceasefire deal reached earlier this month. All 20 living hostages and the bodies of 15 deceased captives have so far been released.

Hamas officials have said the group is continuing to search for the remaining hostage bodies, saying the devastation caused by Israel's attacks on Gaza has complicated recovery efforts.

-ABC News' Hannah Demissie

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has named U.S. Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin as the "civilian lead" of the Civil-Military Coordination Center, in charge of monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza.

Fagin, will join the military lead for the operation, Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, and 200 servicemembers from U.S. Central Command -- with expertise in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering -- who are staffing the hub.

Frank briefed Rubio today at the center, according to the television pool.

Rubio promised more diplomats would arrive at the hub, as well as personnel from partner nations who are involved in shoring up the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Trump Administration officials said the hub will have representatives from partner nations, NGOs, international institutions and the private sector to support stabilization efforts.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that Israel's government vote this week to annex the West Bank would "threaten" the peace process, saying it was not a serious effort but rather one deployed to "embarrass Netanyahu, while the vice president was here."

"Right now, if that were to happen, a lot of the countries that are involved in working on this probably aren't going to want to be involved in this anymore. It's a threat to the peace process and everybody knows it," Rubio said.

Rubio remained bullish about the ceasefire agreement but recognized the parties were at the "first mile in a very long journey."

The secretary of state was clear that an end state with an armed Hamas would not be acceptable.

"If Israel's security is threatened, if five years from now, three years from now, two years from now, Gaza is a place where people who want to destroy Israel are able to operate from with impunity, there's not going to be peace," Rubio said.

"If Hamas refuses to demilitarize, it will be a violation of the agreement, and that will have to be enforced," he said.

Rubio made a visit to the U.S.-established Civil-Military Coordination Center on his final day in Israel, where he expressed "healthy optimism" that the growing center can monitor the ceasefire and deconflict as needed to reach an enduring peace in Gaza.

-ABC News' Mariam Khan and Chris Boccia