The Red Cross has received the bodies of two more Israeli hostages to be returned from Gaza, the Israeli military has said.
Hamas was due to return all 28 of the hostages by Monday, but had returned only seven by Wednesday night. The militant group had handed over two sets of four bodies over two days, but Israel said one body was not that of a hostage.
US president Donald Trump has said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal.
"Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word," Mr Trump was quoted as telling CNN.
Israel is reportedly preparing to reopen the border between Gaza and Egypt, as aid trucks wait there, after closing it because Hamas had not yet returned all the hostages, but military sources have denied preparing to reopen the Rafah crossing.
The US military's Middle East command has called on Hamas to stop its violence against civilians in Gaza and disarm immediately after the militant group started executing people it deems collaborators with Israel.
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Key Points
- Hamas hands over two hostages' bodies – Israel
- Trump: 'Israel could resume fighting if Hamas breaches ceasefire deal'
- Israeli defence minister orders military to prepare to 'defeat Hamas' if war restarts
- Fourth body returned to Israel is not hostage, say IDF
- Israel returns 45 more Palestinians' bodies
Listen: Bel Trew talks about the sensitivities of reporting on the ceasefire
22:20
,
Jane Dalton
Many bodies under pulverised Gaza rubble, say US officials
22:07
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Jane Dalton
Many bodies are under the rubble of Gaza, US officials have warned.
A senior White House adviser said: "The entire Gaza strip has been pulverised. It looks like something out of a out of a movie. And there's very, very little buildings left standing.
“But on top of all of that, all of that debris, and so think almost the level of debris that they had at the World Trade Centre, it feels like, multiple times more.
“On top of all that debris is a lot of unexploded ordinance, and presumably, under that unexploded ordinance and that debris, there are many bodies.
“There's a lot of different intelligence on where someone might have been killed, where they might have been injured, and we've got a lot of information with regard to that, and we've got a huge, huge effort in understanding all of those things now that we have, now that we have greater control physically, of the area, it's going to allow us to do a lot more with the resources we have there.
“But we need more resources, and we're calling on multiple countries, and they they're giving us tremendous commitments."
The adviser said a Turkish team that are "experts in body retrieval" could be brought into Gaza to search the rubble.
"There's a very complicated situation, and each day we're getting deceased out, and we're in good communication directly with the Arab mediators who are in contact with Hamas. And I can tell you that we're not going to leave here until everybody comes home.
"President Trump's been very clear, and the document that all the parties agreed to is clear that there will be a demilitarised Gaza.”
Recap: Hamas hands over nine hostages in total
21:20
,
Jane Dalton
The Red Cross has received the remains of two more of Hamas’s hostages, bringing the number returned to Israel to nine.
Hamas was supposed to have handed over the bodies of 28 dead Israeli hostages by Monday.
The militant group had handed over two sets of four bodies over Monday and Tuesday, but Israel said one body was not that of a hostage.
It handed over two more on Wednesday night.
Israeli minister orders military to prepare to fight Hamas if war restarts
20:51
,
Jane Dalton
Israel's defence minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a comprehensive plan to “defeat Hamas” in Gaza if the war is renewed, according to a statement from his office.
Hamas hands over two hostages' bodies – Israel
20:34
,
Jane Dalton
The Red Cross has received the remains of two more of Hamas’s hostages to be returned to Israel from Gaza, the Israeli military has said.
Trump: 'Israel could resume fighting if Hamas breaches ceasefire deal'
20:25
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump has said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal.
"Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, they’d do that," Mr Trump was quoted as saying to CNN in a brief telephone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm.
More dead hostages set to be handed over, says Israel
19:39
,
Jane Dalton
The Israeli military says Red Cross workers are on their way to a meeting point in Gaza to receive the bodies of several dead hostages.
Earlier, a source said four to five dead hostages would be returned to Israel this evening.
Aid organisations frustrated as trucks wait at border
19:28
,
Jane Dalton
Four to five hostages to be returned this evening: source
18:44
,
Harriette Boucher
Four to five deceased hostages are to be returned to Israel from Gaza on Wednesday evening, a source told CNN.
Hamas was expected to return all 28 of the hostages within 72 hours of the ceasefire agreement, but has only returned seven so far.
Originally, it was believed that eight of the hostages had been returned, but Israel has since claimed that one of the bodies does not belong to the hostages.
US military tells Hamas to halt violence and put down arms
18:20
,
Jane Dalton
The US military's Middle East command has called on Hamas to stop its violence against civilians in Gaza and disarm "without delay".
Hamas, which has not publicly committed to disarming and ceding power, has been reasserting itself by deploying security forces and executing those it deems collaborators with Israel.
The militant group has gradually sent its men back into the streets of Gaza since the ceasefire began on Friday.
It has killed more than 30 members of "a gang" in Gaza City, a Palestinian security source said on Monday.
"We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza," said Commander Brad Cooper, head of the US military's Centcom.
Commander Cooper asked the militant group to fully stand down, "strictly" adhere to President Donald Trump's Gaza plan and put down its weapons.
Food aid starts arriving in Gaza
17:50
,
Jane Dalton
The World Food Programme said its trucks began arriving in Gaza after the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza was suspended for two days.
The timing of the scaled-up deliveries — which are part of the ceasefire deal — had been called into question after Israel said on Tuesday that it would cut the number of trucks allowed into Gaza, saying Hamas was too slow to return the hostages' bodies.
Abeer Etefa, spokesperson for the World Food Program, said the situation remained unpredictable.
"We're hopeful that access will improve in the coming days," she said.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said 400 trucks carrying food, fuel and medical supplies were bound for Gaza on Wednesday.
Aid trucks go into Gaza
17:30
,
Jane Dalton
Aid trucks have started rolling into Gaza, as Israel resumed preparations to open the main Rafah crossing from Egypt.
Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was returning bodies too slowly.
But the militant group returned more Israeli bodies overnight, and an Israeli security official said on Wednesday preparations were under way to open Rafah to Gazan citizens, while a second official said that 600 aid trucks would go in.
The Rafah crossing is due to be open for people to cross on Thursday with a European Union mission deployed there, two sources said. It was not immediately clear if there would be any restrictions applied on the movement of people.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said it was preparing to operate the crossing.
The Green Party said journalists should be allowed in to report on events and conditions in Gaza.
The Rafah crossing is expected to re-open.
— The Green Party (@TheGreenParty) October 15, 2025
Alongside the desperately needed aid, journalists must be allowed into Gaza.
Over 200 journalists have been killed in Gaza - but the crimes of the Israeli government and military must not go undocumented.
Let the journalists in. pic.twitter.com/8VMhIwWgya
We won't compromise on return of bodies, vows Netanyahu
17:26
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Jane Dalton
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Hamas fulfil the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal introduced by US President Donald Trump about the return of hostages' bodies.
"We will not compromise on this and will not stop our efforts until we return the last deceased hostage, until the last one," Mr Netanyahu said.
The ceasefire plan had called for all hostages — living and dead — to be handed over by a deadline that expired on Monday.
But under the deal, if that didn't happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand them over as soon as possible.
Israel hands over 45 more Palestinians' bodies
17:04
,
Jane Dalton
Gaza's health ministry says it has received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
The bodies of 90 Palestinians have now been transferred.
It was unclear whether the deceased died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops while searching for hostages.
Hostage bodies released by Hamas - and those yet to be returned
16:44
,
Jane Dalton
Israeli police accompany coffins carrying bodies of hostages
16:00
,
Maira Butt
Aid trucks have been let in 'every day' in Gaza, says Israel
14:58
,
Maira Butt
“Humanitarian aid has never stopped going into the Gaza Strip,” Israeli spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said on Wednesday in response to a question about the number of aid trucks entering the Strip.
“It’s something Israel has been committed to, making sure aid goes in and to the populations that need it most ensuring Hamas does not steal it, which we have seen in the past.”
Israeli government responds to clashes and executions in Gaza
14:40
,
Maira Butt
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian was asked a question about deadly clashes and Hamas executions in Gaza at a press conference on Wednesday.
“Israel will make sure that Hamas is disarmed that Gaza is demilitarised and making sure that Gaza never poses threat to Israel again we are looking forward to this agreement being upheld,” she said.
“We will make sure Hamas does not have the opportunity to harm the people of Israel.”
Hamas warns Palestinian civilians it is 'last opportunity' to hand over collaborators and 'traitors'
14:11
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Maira Butt
Hamas has said it is conducting a “comprehensive security operation” in the Gaza Strip to take out collaborators with Israel.
It follows the executions of seven Palestinians by Hamas earlier this week.
“We affirm that the last opportunity to correct course and provide any available information remains open for those who wish to return to the embrace of the homeland,” the group’s security force Radaa said on Wednesday.
“After that there will be no escape from the strict hand of justice that will reach every traitor and protector.”
Watch: Aid trucks bound for Gaza line up at Egypt’s Rafah crossing
14:02
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Maira Butt
Holly Bishop reports:
Trucks filled with humanitarian aid destined for Gaza line up at Egypt’s Rafah crossing on Wednesday (15 October).
Israel has said that it will not permit aid to pass through the border until Hamas has returned all 28 deceased hostages, after the terror group intially only released four on Monday (13 October). It was previously reported that the country would allow the crossing to open.
Israel previously said it would only allow 300 lorries of aid into Gaza - half of the minimum number agreed upon in Donald Trump’s peace plan. The UN said 600 trucks were required to address the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave.
An Israeli security official told The Independent that “no such agreement” has been made and “the date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later”.
South Africa president says ICJ genocide case against Israel will continue despite ceasefire
13:40
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Maira Butt
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says US-Israel ceasefire agreement will not affect the country’s proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
“The case is proceeding,” he said on Tuesday.
Germany says Hamas executions an 'act of terror'
13:20
,
Maira Butt
Hamas executed at least seven Palestinians this week for allegedly collaborating with Israel.
It follows deadly clashes among clans in the region, some of which are reportedly supported by Israel according to local media.
A German foreign ministry spokesperson said the executions amounted to an act of terror against the population but maintained that the humanitarian need for aid in the region remains unchanged.
The glaring detail in Trump’s peace photo which hints at what might go terribly wrong
12:42
,
James Reynolds
When Egypt released the list of global leaders and officials attending the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh – representatives of more than 25 nations and international bodies were pictured.
But there was one glaring detail that many are still puzzling over, writes Sophie Walker:
Not the first time Hamas has released the wrong body
12:02
,
James Reynolds
The IDF said on Wednesday that one of the four bodies returned to Israel last night did not belong to a hostage, following an examination at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. It is not yet clear how or why the wrong body was returned from Gaza.
This is not the first time Hamas has returned a wrong body to Israel. Earlier this year, during a previous ceasefire, the group said it handed over the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons.
Israelis endured another moment of agony when testing showed that one of the bodies returned was identified as a Palestinian woman. Bibas' body was returned a day later and positively identified.
Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said at the time that "unfortunate mistakes" could occur, especially as Israeli bombing had mingled the bodies of Israeli hostages and Palestinians, thousands of whom were still buried in the rubble.
Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages was a challenge because of Gaza's vast destruction, and Hamas has told mediators of the truce that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops.
Watch: Aid trucks for Gaza queue up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing
11:44
,
James Reynolds
'Our son is returned to us,' father of dead hostage says
11:31
,
James Reynolds
The grieving father of hostage Tamir Nimrodi said he was “fortunate” to have final confirmation of his son’s death after months of agonising uncertainty.
Alon Nimrodi told Channel 12 there was “some relief” in “knowing that our son has returned to us, even if it’s in this coffin”, after Tamir’s body was returned to Israel on Tuesday and identified today.
“For us, the journey ended in a terrible way, not like I had hoped, but there is a long struggle ahead for the release of 21 other hostages who are in the Gaza Strip, and we must continue to struggle until they all return home,” he said.
Palestinian Authority 'ready' to operate Gaza side of Rafah Crossing
11:14
,
James Reynolds
The Palestinian Authority said on Wednesday it is prepared to operate the Gaza-side of a key crossing for aid between Egypt and Gaza.
"Now we are ready to engage again, and we have notified all parties that we are ready to operate the Rafah crossing," said Mohammad Shtayyeh, special envoy to President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
An Israeli security official said on Wednesday that the crossing was closed to aid amid conflicting reports. Preparations are said to be underway for the movement of citizens.
It was not clear whether the 600 trucks due to enter the enclave on Wednesday would cross the border. Aid trucks entered Gaza through other crossings.
One Israeli official told Reuters that 600 trucks would enter Gaza - the full daily complement required under the ceasefire plan.
Pictured: ICRC vehicles head to receive Palestinian bodies from Israeli custody
11:01
,
James Reynolds
Father of hostage says his son was handcuffed to a cage for a year
10:50
,
James Reynolds
The father of a hostage recently returned to Israel said his son was handcuffed to a cage for a year after he tried to escape.
Yaron Or told Kan radio that his son, Avinatan, was handcuffed to “a barred place” some 1.8 metres high and the length of a mattress after he tried to run away.
He said that his son was beaten, and that he was held in a tunnel for the entire duration of his captivity.
Avinatan was one of the 20 living hostages freed as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
How many deceased Israeli hostages remain in Gaza
10:40
,
James Reynolds
Hamas agreed to repatriate the 48 hostages it still held in Gaza as part of the initial ceasefire deal.
The group handed back all 20 living hostages on Monday. This week, it began returning the remains of the 28 believed to be dead.
Four bodies were returned on Monday, and another four came on Tuesday.
Relatives identified three of the bodies returned on Tuesday, but the IDF said following a forensic investigation that the fourth did not match any of the remaining hostages.
Hamas is expected to return another four bodies on Wednesday, sources told Israeli media.
Hamas and Israel previously agreed to create a mechanism to search for the remains of hostages in Gaza, CNN reported, adding that no such mechanism has so far been set up.
Palestinian bodies arrived in Gaza 'blindfolded, shot and run over by tanks'
10:30
,
James Reynolds
Bodies of Palestinians repatriated to Gaza this week have arrived blindfolded, with signs of gunshot wounds or having been run over by tanks, the enclave’s Nasser hospital said in a harrowing report.
Some 45 deceased Palestinians were transferred from Israel to the Nasser Medical Complex on Monday.
The hospital’s forensic department told CNN on Tuesday that they were yet to be identified.
All arrived with their hands and legs cuffed, the hospital said. They arrived with numbers marking them, rather than their names, it said.
“Some are blindfolded, and there are signs of gunshot wounds in some cases, while others have been run over by tanks.”
Hamas expected to return more bodies today
10:20
,
James Reynolds
Hamas is expected to transfer four more bodies of hostages to Israel on Wednesday, sources told the Times of Israel.
A Middle Eastern diplomat and a second source familiar with the matter told the Israeli outlet Hamas had informed mediators it would repatriate the remains amid confusion of the return of bodies late on Tuesday.
Four bodies were returned to Israel last night and three were identified as the remains of hostages. But the IDF said on Wednesday, following a forensic investigation, that the fourth did not belong to any hostage.
An Israeli source also told CNN that Hamas was expected to return more bodies today.
It’s taken only 24 hours, but Trump’s fairytale of peace in the Middle East seems doomed
10:12
,
James Reynolds
Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump announced his “everlasting peace”, Palestinians were still being killed in Gaza, aid trucks stopped going in and a row broke out about the failure of Hamas to return the bodies of dead Israeli hostages.
All of these grim, and sadly all too predictable factors, threaten to topple the whole ceasefire process.
Our Chief International Correspondent, Bel Trew, reports:
Fourth body returned to Israel NOT a hostage: IDF
09:49
,
James Reynolds
The fourth body returned to Israel late on Tuesday does not belong to a hostage, the IDF said on Wednesday.
“Following the completion of examinations at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, the fourth body handed over to Israel by Hamas does not match any of the hostages,” it said in a statement.
“Hamas is required to make all necessary efforts to return the deceased hostages.”
Hamas returned the remains of four more hostages, totalling eight, on Tuesday. A further 20 are believed to remain in Gaza, with pressure piling on Hamas to repatriate the bodies.
Aid continues to enter Gaza through Israel-Gaza crossings
09:42
,
James Reynolds
Humanitarian aid continued to enter Gaza through the Kissufim and Kerem Shalom crossings under the supervision of UN agencies, Al Jazeera Arabic reported on Wednesday.
Both border crossings allow for the delivery of aid from Israel into Gaza.
An Israeli security official told The Independent that the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza would remain shut after reports early on Wednesday indicated it would reopen.
Hamas must be 'erased from the face of the earth', says Israeli minister
09:37
,
James Reynolds
Hamas must be ‘erased from the face of the earth’, Israel’s national security minister insisted as tensions again rose over the delayed return of Israeli hostages.
Itamar Ben Gvir accused the Palestinian group of “abus[ing] families and the bodies” after it returned just four more bodies late on Tuesday.
“Nazi terror understands only force, and the only way to solve problems with it is to wipe it off the face of the earth,” he wrote on Telegram.
On Tuesday, Ben Gvir had called on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to issue a clear ultimatum to Hamas: If you do not immediately return all the bodies of our fallen soldiers and continue delaying - we will immediately stop all aid supplies entering the Strip.”
Hamas has released its last living captives, but is yet to hand over the remains of 20 hostages.
Israel reopens beach near Gaza border
09:27
,
James Reynolds
The IDF will reopen Israel’s Zikim Beach on the northern border with Gaza to the general public for the first time since October 2023.
The army said the beach would be reopened on Thursday “following significant operational activities” and preparations in the area.
Aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing: Israeli security official
09:20
,
Bel Trew
In a major blow to the ceasefire deal agreed with such fanfare at the beginning of the week, an Israeli security official told The Independent: "Humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah Crossing.
“No such agreement has been reached at any stage.
"The date for opening the crossing for the movement of people only will be announced later."
Hamas 'executes gang members' as it reasserts grip on Gaza
08:17
,
James Reynolds
Hamas security forces have returned to Gaza's streets, clashing with armed groups and killing alleged gangsters in a bid to restore law and order where Israeli troops withdrew.
Trump said Tuesday that Hamas had taken out “a couple of gangs that were very bad,” and killed a number of gang members. “That didn't bother me much, to be honest with you,” he said.
Read the full story:
Three bodies of Israeli hostages identified, families say
07:48
,
James Reynolds
Three of the four bodies of hostages returned to Israel overnight have been identified, relatives said.
Uriel Baruch, from Jerusalem, was among those returning late on Wednesday. He was 35-years-old when Hamas kidnapped him on October 7.
Tamir Nimrodi was identified by his family. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said he was kidnapped alive from his base and killed by IDF bombings. Earlier, his family said he was “murdered” in captivity.
Eitan Levy, 53 from Bat Yam, was also identified after his return overnight. Mr Levy’s family were told in December 2023 that he had been killed on October 7 and his body taken into Gaza.
Gaza in pictures as ceasefire holds
07:30
,
Shweta Sharma
Israeli tanks have been replaced by bulldozers that have begun cleaning work in Gaza as the ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli military continues to hold.
Palestinians continued to pour into the streets with their belongings.
More dramatic pictures showed Hamas gunmen on pickup trucks escorting buses carrying freed Palestinian prisoners as they are greeted following their release from Israeli jails under a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis.
The glaring detail in Trump’s peace photo which hints at what might go terribly wrong
07:00
,
Shweta Sharma
The Gaza conflict has had a particular impact on women and girls. But a visitor to the planet observing the recent Sharm el-Sheikh peace summit would never know.
When Egypt released the list of global leaders and officials attending the Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh – more than 25 nations and international bodies in total – the only woman on the list was Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
As the smallest person in attendance, you might have thought she’d have been ushered to the front. But no. She was left to bob about at the back completely invisible – and ignored, until president Donald Trump went out of his way to acknowledge her presence at the final press conference – by calling her “beautiful”. This is not the attention to detail that women need in peace talks.