Tuesday, October 28th's live news on the Middle East conflict. Israel accuses Hamas of repeatedly violating truce agreements (and Hamas accuses Israel). Raids in Rafah, Gaza, and refugee camps.

• After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which 1,194 Israelis were killed and 250 kidnapped, Israel attacked the Gaza Strip, decimating Hamas leaders and structures and killing over 68,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Among them were 19,000 children.
• Hamas has yet to return the bodies of 13 hostages. Israel approved the entry of Egyptian and Red Cross specialists to locate the bodies.
• Trump: Peacekeeping force in Gaza soon, Qatar is willing to send troops. Rubio: We are working on the UN resolution for the multinational force in Gaza. Netanyahu: We will have a veto on members of the Gaza security force
• This evening, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered Israeli military forces to conduct new intense raids on the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire on several occasions. He was referring to the latest handover of the remains of a body that, however, does not belong to one of the 13 hostages killed in Gaza, and to the firefights that took place today in southern Gaza between the IDF and militants. The offensive marks the first significant escalation since the entry into force of the truce brokered on October 10 by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, together with Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which included, among other things, the exchange of hostages and the gradual entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip. Hamas, in response, accused Israel of violating the truce and postponed the handover of another hostage's body, scheduled for today. Israeli raids on Gaza City, Rafah, and several refugee camps.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said the ceasefire between Israel and Gaza is ongoing, but warned that minor skirmishes could occur here and there. His remarks, delivered on Capitol Hill after a meeting with Republican senators, represent the Trump administration's first official position since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered new attacks on Gaza, resulting in at least two deaths. Vance emphasized that the United States considers Israel a partner, not a subordinate, and made clear that it is not dictating conditions, but supporting Israel with shared goals. He also expressed optimism about efforts to disarm Hamas and rebuild Gaza, despite persistent challenges. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has firmly rejected efforts by some Israeli lawmakers to annex the West Bank, saying such actions could undermine the Middle East peace strategy, including the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

7:49 PM | October 28

Vance: Ceasefire holds, skirmishes but peace will endure

The ceasefire is holding. I believe peace in the Middle East will endure despite the skirmishes, Vice President J.D. Vance said this in response to a question about Gaza, according to Bloomberg.

7:44 PM | October 28

At least two killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza

At least two people were killed and four others were injured on Tuesday after an Israeli attack on the Sabra neighborhood, southern Gaza City, the Gaza Civil Defense said.

7:30 PM | October 28

Al Jazeera: Another Israeli body identified, matching Saher Barukh

Another body of an Israeli hostage, identified as Saher Barukh, has been found in the Gaza Strip. The Qatari-owned pan-Arab satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera reported this, citing a Palestinian source, who said the Israeli hostage's body was found and extracted from an excavation site in the Nuseirat camp, located in the central sector of the Palestinian enclave.

7:25 PM | October 28

Hamas: We are committed to upholding the agreement. Israel makes false accusations.

Hamas rejected Israel's accusations, maintaining that it is committed to the agreement. Israel's accusations are false, they added. Israel must realize that we are committed to the agreement and must stop falsely accusing us of violating it, Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza, told Al-Jazeera, saying the group is facing significant difficulties in recovering the bodies of Israeli hostages. Al-Hindi reiterated his request for heavy equipment to facilitate these operations, adding that Hamas requested the entry of search teams into the red zones to locate the bodies, but the request was rejected: Israel blocked the Qatari and Turkish groups that were ready to participate in the searches with men, equipment, and technology. The resistance has no interest in hiding or delaying the handover of the prisoners' bodies, and we reiterate our full commitment to respecting the agreement, he said. al-Hindi, referring to the ceasefire that came into effect in early October, said:"We have done everything possible to recover the bodies, and Israel bears full responsibility for any delay in recovering the remaining bodies." He added, calling on mediating countries to intervene.

7:01 PM | October 28

Coordination with the US before Israel's attack on Gaza

Netanyahu's meeting on the response to Hamas's violation of the agreement ended without any decision at this stage. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presented a package of possible responses, including resuming attacks on Gaza. (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu concluded the meeting by noting that coordination with the United States would be necessary to determine what measures to take, an Israeli official told Axios journalist Barak Ravid, as the reporter writes in X. Israel considers Hamas's handing over of the remains of a hostage already rescued by the IDF in December 2023 to be a violation of the agreement. The same is true for the clashes that occurred this afternoon in Rafah.

6:52 PM | October 28

Mediators: Israel blocks Qatari and Turkish teams from entering Gaza to search for bodies of dead hostages

Israel has rejected an initiative by the countries brokering the Gaza ceasefire to establish a multilateral team to enter the Strip and retrieve the bodies of the deceased hostages still there, two Arab diplomats told The Times of Israel.

The initiative called for representatives from Israel, the United States, Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt to form a joint search team, sharing advanced capabilities and intelligence to locate and recover the remaining hostages, the diplomats explained.

The Jewish state has strongly opposed the idea of ​​granting Turkish and Qatari forces a role in Gaza. The mediators then settled on an alternative proposal that simply called for an Egyptian search team to enter the Strip, the same sources said.

​The Egyptian team entered the Strip earlier this week but has not yet played any concrete role in rescuing any more hostages, one of the Arab diplomats said, arguing that Cairo alone does not have the capacity to carry out the task.

Israel, for its part, has rejected the idea that such an initiative is necessary, arguing that Hamas knows the location of the vast majority of the 13 dead hostages—if not all—still there and that it is deliberately slowing down the rescue process.

6:48 PM | October 28

Israeli Defense Minister: Hamas Attack on Our Military Crosses Red Line

The attack by militants from the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, against Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops is a clear crossing of a red line. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz, quoted by the news website Ynet, said that the terrorist organization (Hamas) will pay a heavy price for the attack on IDF soldiers in Gaza and for violating the agreement on the return of hostages and fallen soldiers. According to the Israeli Defense Minister, the IDF will respond with great force, and Hamas will pay a much higher price.

6:29 PM | October 28

Wafa, Israeli raids and forced evacuations in the West Bank

While international attention is largely focused on events in the Gaza Strip, Israel continues its steady and silent offensive in the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that Israeli forces stormed several villages and towns in the West Bank governorate of Nablus today, citing local sources. Israeli troops reportedly stormed the town of Qusra to the south and the village of Burqa northwest of the city, and raided the new and old Askar refugee camps.

In the evening, an evacuation order was issued for 15 homes near the Jenin refugee camp, declaring the area a"closed military zone." At dawn, Israeli forces killed three young men in the village of Kafr Qud, west of Jenin, and withheld their bodies.

​There has also been a sharp increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank: an average of 130 attacks per month have been recorded over the past two years, almost all of which have gone unpunished.

UN concerned by Netanyahu's announcement of massive raids in Gaza

The United Nations is deeply concerned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's latest announcement, ordering the army to conduct massive attacks on the Gaza Strip. This was stated by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

I can tell you that these reports [of Israeli attacks on Gaza] are extremely worrying. We do not want the situation to worsen, Dujarric said at a briefing.

The spokesman emphasized that the parties must return to compliance with the ceasefire agreement.

6:15 PM | October 28

Fear in Gaza after Israeli bombing threat

Israeli drones are patrolling the skies over Gaza, following Israel's threat to resume massive raids, but no attacks have been recorded so far, according to an Al Jazeera reporter from Deir el-Balah, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Fears of a resumption of raids have spread throughout the area. This isn't the first time a violent episode has occurred in the southern Strip, but the Israeli threat—the Qatari media outlet notes—comes after a nearly three-week ceasefire.

6:14 PM | October 28

Media: Israel plans to expand military occupation of Gaza Strip after Hamas violations

The Israeli government is planning to militarily occupy additional portions of the Gaza Strip in response to violations of the ceasefire agreement by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. The Times of Israel reported this, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to expand the territory under the control of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza following Hamas's violations of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli television station Kan 11 reported that the prime minister is in contact with senior US officials to coordinate the initiative.

5:59 PM | October 28

Israeli planes attack Rafah

Israeli Air Force planes reportedly attacked the western part of the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli newspaper Ynet, citing Al-Aqsa broadcaster.

5:41 PM | October 28

Hamas: Israel is violating the truce, we will not return the body of the deceased hostage today

Hamas's armed wing has announced that, given Israel's violation of the truce, the handover of one of the bodies of the hostages killed in Gaza, which was scheduled for today around 8 p.m. (7 p.m. in Italy), will be postponed.

The body is believed to be that of Israeli hostage Amiram Cooper: born in Haifa, he was one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz, on the border with the Strip, from which he was kidnapped on October 7, 2023, along with his wife Nurit, during the Hamas attack on Israel. In December of the same year, Hamas released a video in which Cooper appeared as a hostage along with two other Israeli citizens, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger. In March 2024, Hamas announced that the three men had been killed in Israeli airstrikes, while according to the version provided by the Israeli authorities, the three were executed by their captors in Khan Yunis in mid-February 2024.

5:15 PM | October 28

Netanyahu orders IDF to launch new, powerful strikes in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his forces to immediately launch powerful attacks in the Gaza Strip. Kan broadcaster reports this, citing a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. Israel accuses Hamas of repeated violations of the agreements. The offensive marks the first significant escalation since the truce brokered nearly three weeks ago by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, which included a hostage exchange and the gradual flow of humanitarian aid into the Strip, took effect.

5:09 PM | October 28

IDF lifts restrictions on communities near Gaza

The IDF has lifted restrictions imposed on residents of villages near Gaza during the war. Israeli forces themselves announced this on social media. Following an assessment of the situation and approval from Defense Minister Israel Katz, the decision was made to lift IDF restrictions on communities near the Gaza Strip starting today, the post reads.

4:58 PM | October 28

IDF troops attacked Gaza, responded with artillery fire. Palestinians blame Israel for attacks in Rafah.

Israeli troops stationed in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, have been attacked by Palestinian militants, Israeli media reported. The soldiers returned fire at the attackers. Palestinian media also reported Israeli artillery fire in the Rafah area.

The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has not yet commented on the incident, which appears to represent a further violation of Hamas's ceasefire agreement with Israel.

​​Last week, two IDF soldiers were killed in an attack in the Rafah area.

The army attributed the attack to Hamas, although the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist movement has stated that it is not responsible for the actions of its fighters in IDF-controlled areas of Gaza.

4:53 PM | October 28

Hamas: No interest in delaying hostage handover

Hamas has reiterated its intention to respect the truce agreement and hand over all hostages, but that Israel is hindering the recovery of the bodies."The resistance has no interest in hiding the bodies of any prisoners or delaying their handover, and we affirm our full commitment to the agreement," Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza, assured Quds."The occupation has refused to allow search teams to enter the red zones to locate the bodies of the prisoners," he explained."We ask the mediators to pressure the enemy to facilitate the extraction of the remaining bodies."

4:46 PM | October 28

The EU condemns Israel's attack on UNIFIL in Lebanon on Sunday.

The European Union condemned the attack carried out by Israel on Sunday against a unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in the south of the country. This was stated by the European Commission's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Anouar El Anouni.

UNIFIL reported on Sunday that an Israeli drone had fired a grenade at one of its patrols in the area of Kfar Kila, causing no casualties among its personnel, and that an Israeli tank had also fired a shot. It added that the attack occurred shortly after another incident in the same area, when an Israeli unmanned vehicle had flown low over a UN peacekeepers patrol. Israel, in its reconstruction, tried to blame UNIFIL.

The EU condemns the Israeli attack of October 26, the latest in a series of similar episodes in recent weeks, El Anouni said during a press conference in Brussels.

4:23 PM | October 28

Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers attempted to take their own lives.

Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers attempted to take their own lives. This is what emerges from a document by the Knesset Research and Information Center, the Israeli parliament,

drafted at the request of the left-wing Hadash-Ta'al party member, Ofer Cassif.  

According to the report, combat soldiers accounted for 78% of all suicides in Israel   in 2024, a sharp increase from previous years, when the rate fluctuated between 42% and 45% from 2017 to 2022. The increase

may be partly linked to the surge in reservist mobilization following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which forced tens of thousands of soldiers to return to active duty during the war.  

The data refers only to soldiers who were serving at the time of their death or suicide attempt, both in regular service and in the army. Reserve, and does not include veterans who took their own lives after completing their military service. Between 2017 and July 2025, 124 soldiers committed suicide. Sixty-eight percent of them were in mandatory service, 21 percent in the active reserve, and 11 percent in permanent service.

4:13 PM | October 28

Clashes between the IDF and Hamas east of Rafah, southern Gaza

Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Hamas east of Rafah, in southern Gaza. Israeli media reported, accusing the Islamist movement of opening fire first and thus violating the truce. According to Haaretz, Hamas militants fired anti-tank missiles at a military engineering team. The IDF responded with artillery.

Hamas and Israel continue to accuse each other of truce violations. After two years, Israel still does not allow journalists to enter Gaza, so independent verification is impossible, except by independent international organizations already present in the Strip.

3:57 PM | October 28

Israeli media releases video of fake body discovery

Israeli media have released video taken by an Israeli army drone, showing Hamas staging a hoax over the remains of the hostage delivered yesterday, later revealed to be that of a kidnapped man, Ofir Tzarfati, who was recovered two years ago. The footage, the Times of Israel reports, shows a group of men carrying the body from a building to a hole dug in the ground in the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City. They then cover the body with earth, first with shovels and then an excavator, before pretending to discover it for the first time in front of the Red Cross.

3:42 PM | October 28

Cardinal Pizzaballa: The situation in the West Bank is unsustainable.

In the West Bank, the situation is completely different. Today, it is divided into small pieces, and after October 7th, the fragmentation is even more pronounced, with barriers and checkpoints making movement difficult. This situation is also unsustainable due to the expansion of settler attacks, especially in the most isolated Palestinian villages. This was stated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

3:16 PM | October 28

Hamas returns another body this evening

Hamas announced that it will return the body of another Israeli hostage who died in captivity in Gaza to the International Red Cross this evening. The Al Qassam Brigades will hand over the body of one of the prisoners recently found in one of the tunnels in the Strip, a statement read. The handover is scheduled for 8:00 PM local time (7:00 PM GMT).

3:08 PM | October 28

Israel is considering new options after hostages' bodies were not returned.

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's failure to return the bodies of Israeli hostages has reignited debate in Israel over its next steps, including military pressure, diplomatic leverage, and public opinion management. Israeli sources cited by local media report that the government is evaluating a series of carefully calibrated measures to increase pressure on Hamas, while maintaining coordination with the United States and key regional partners. Among the options under discussion is the reopening of the Rafah exit crossing, allowing selected civilians to leave the Strip after a security check, in an effort to reduce internal tension without compromising Israeli national security. Another option, already used in similar contexts in the past, involves a return to targeted operations against Hamas military leaders, modeled on the neutralization campaigns adopted in Lebanon. The objective would be to target key figures in the organization engaged in rebuilding operational capabilities, presenting such actions as defensive interventions against imminent threats. At the same time, the Israeli government intends to intensify international communication, highlighting Hamas's violation of the commitments made in recent negotiations and preparing world opinion for the possibility of a resumption of fighting in Gaza. In this context, Tel Aviv is also reportedly considering a partial reduction in aid allowed within the Strip, coordinated with Washington to avoid new accusations of a humanitarian blockade. Among the measures being discussed is the involvement of specialized UN agencies, such as UNMAS, in the disposal of bombs and the control of explosive materials, in order to prevent them from returning to Hamas hands. According to the Israeli strategy, a combination of military, diplomatic, and informational pressure could push Hamas to show greater flexibility on the hostage situation. However, the risk of military escalation and new international tensions remains high, especially if ground operations were to target civilians or humanitarian facilities.

2:54 PM | October 28

Media reports: Israel has made no decision on response to Hamas violations.

The meeting chaired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to consider possible responses to the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas's violations of the ceasefire agreement ended without any decisions being made at this stage. A high-level Israeli official told Channel 12, adding that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) presented several response proposals, including resuming attacks in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu, however, explained that coordination with the United States will be necessary to determine what steps can be taken.

2:49 PM | October 28

Suicides and suicide attempts among IDF soldiers on the rise

The death toll from the war in Gaza includes an often-forgotten factor: successful and attempted suicides among IDF soldiers. According to a report by the Knesset Research and Information Center, the Israeli parliament, combat soldiers accounted for 78% of all suicides in Israel in 2024, a sharp increase compared to previous years; between 2017 and 2022, the rate was between 42% and 45%. The Times of Israel reports. Between January 2024 and July 2025, 279 IDF soldiers attempted suicide. And for every successful suicide, there were an average of seven more attempts. The increase may be partly linked to the surge in reservist mobilization following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which brought tens of thousands of troops back to active duty during the war. The report clarifies that the figures refer only to soldiers who were serving at the time of their death or attempted suicide, not veterans who committed suicide after completing their military service.

2:32 PM | October 28

Media, Egypt is currently establishing a coordination center for truce mediators.

A parallel, but smaller, branch of the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMC) located in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat is underway in El Arish, Egypt. An Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel, explaining that the new center will serve as a coordination mechanism for the mediating countries—Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States—of the ongoing truce agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This coordination is currently taking place in Cairo, the same source explained. According to The Times of Israel, the El Arish center will focus, among other issues, on the events in the Hamas-controlled areas of Gaza and the aid being sent there via Egypt. It remains unclear whether Israel will have a representative at the Egyptian headquarters.

2:21 PM | October 28

Netanyahu: Israel will respond after wrong remains are handed over

Israel will respond after Hamas handed over human remains that did not belong to Israeli hostages still in Gaza, which Israel considers a violation of the Gaza ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, quoted by Reuters.

Hamas said it respected the ceasefire and was doing its best to locate the hostages' remains, but was hampered by a lack of equipment. Netanyahu claimed that the human remains handed over by the militant group overnight belonged to a hostage whose body had already been recovered by Israeli forces at the start of the war, rather than one of the 13 hostages still to be repatriated.

2:13 PM | October 28

Parolin, humanitarian effort by Bambino Gesù should be a prerequisite for peace

Regarding the situation in Gaza, the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome is undertaking significant humanitarian work, and we are committed to this endeavor, believing that their humanitarian efforts, both in terms of caring for those affected by the war and in terms of prisoner exchanges, can be a path to peace. We hope so, and we feel deeply committed to this area, which is the traditional approach of the Holy See. This was stated by Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, speaking on the sidelines of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome as a Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment (IRCCS), held today at the Auditorium of Saint Paul Outside the Walls.

2:11 PM | October 28

Hostage Families Forum: Hamas Knows the Location of the Deceased

According to the Forum of the Hostages' Families, which is calling for an urgent meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister, Hamas knows the whereabouts of the deceased prisoners. In light of Hamas's serious violation of the agreement last night and reports that Hamas documented, deceived, and falsified the process of locating the hostages, the families are calling for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a statement signed by the Forum, reported by the Ynet website. The repeated violations demonstrate what we already know: Hamas knows the location of all the hostages and continues to act with contempt, deceiving the United States and mediators, and violating the dignity of our loved ones. The Israeli government cannot and must not ignore this and must take decisive action against these violations, the organization uniting the hostages' families insisted.

2:04 PM | October 28

Red Cross: Hamas contacts us only for transfers

When Hamas announces a transfer, we arrive, said Gilad Gorsman, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel, following the controversy surrounding the terrorist organization's sensational return last night of the remains of a hostage already returned by the IDF in December 2023. Instead of returning one of the 13 deceased hostages still held in Gaza, as required by the ceasefire agreement, Gorsman responded to reports that Hamas had provided the location of a hostage's body and invited the medical organization to intervene."We are not always present. We intervene at an agreed-upon time, after Hamas announces its intention to carry out a transfer. We provide technical assistance on how to conduct the search, how to properly manage the movement of the bodies, and also how to carry out the transfer. The search itself is not carried out by us," clarified the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel.

1:51 PM | October 28

Israel kills three Palestinian militants in the West Bank

Israeli authorities said they killed three Palestinian militants this morning during an operation in the northern occupied West Bank. Israeli police said the three men were killed as they emerged from a cave near Jenin. According to the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), the militants were involved in terrorist activities in Jenin. Two were killed in the initial barrage of fire. The third, who was wounded, was killed shortly thereafter. An earlier statement said the Israeli army carried out an airstrike shortly thereafter to destroy the cave. Hamas condemned the attack in Jenin and later identified two of the three men as militants from Hamas's Qassam Brigades. The third man was identified as a comrade, but no further details were provided.

1:42 PM | October 28

Netanyahu calls emergency meeting after Hamas violations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called an emergency meeting in response to alleged violations by Hamas in the return of hostages' bodies, following the assessment that Hamas yesterday handed over the remains of a person whose body had already been returned. Israel is considering several options to respond to the violations, including expanding the Yellow Line under Israeli military (IDF) control, Ynet reports. Israeli media report that likely options include cutting off humanitarian aid to Gaza, expanding Israeli control over Gaza, or carrying out targeted airstrikes on Hamas leaders. Thirteen hostage bodies remain in Gaza, and their slow recovery is challenging the implementation of the next phases of the ceasefire. Hamas has claimed it is having difficulty locating the bodies due to the widespread destruction in Gaza, while Israel has accused the group of intentionally delaying the return. During the two-year war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army recovered the bodies of 51 hostages.

1:29 PM | October 28

Sources, Israel: Fed up with Hamas' lies, they've been violating terms for two weeks.

Hamas has violated the terms of the ceasefire in Gaza since day one, and Israel is fed up with its"lies," an official from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office told the Times of Israel. Last night's return of the remains of a hostage whose body had already been recovered isn't the only reason Israeli leaders met to decide on new measures against Hamas. The problem is that they've been violating the terms for two weeks."We waited patiently because we understand that it takes time to locate, excavate, extract, and return," the official said."All of this takes time." But now they're crossing a red line, the same source added.

1:28 PM | October 28

Media: Netanyahu calls emergency meeting on Hamas violations

An emergency meeting convened by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to coordinate Israel's response to Hamas's ceasefire violations in Gaza is about to begin. Security sources told the Times of Israel, adding that the meeting will be attended by ministers, the prime minister's advisers, and security officials.

1:26 PM | October 28

Lebanon: Media reports France ordered Israeli drone downing

According to a diplomatic source cited by Le Figaro, France is directly responsible for the decision to shoot down an Israeli surveillance drone flying over the Israel-Lebanon border on Sunday. The peacekeeping forces involved in the incident belonged to the French UNIFIL contingent, an unusual occurrence since it is rare for peacekeeping forces to open fire on an Israeli drone. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stated that the Israeli drone approached a patrol before dropping a grenade, followed by an Israeli tank that fired a round in the direction of the peacekeeping forces. UNIFIL also cited a similar incident that occurred earlier in the same location, where an Israeli drone aggressively flew over the UNIFIL patrol. The UN mission in Lebanon considers these incidents a violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty. The Israeli military categorically disputes this version of events. Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF's Arab spokesman, stated that the drone was carrying out a routine intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance mission. According to the IDF, UNIFIL forces stationed near the site deliberately opened fire on the drone, even though it posed no threat to them. Adraee confirmed that Israeli soldiers then threw a hand grenade into the area where the drone was shot down, categorically denying that the fire was directed at peacekeeping forces. The incident is now the subject of a thorough investigation through military liaison channels between the IDF and UNIFIL.

1:16 PM | October 28

West Bank: Three suspected terrorists killed in Jenin

Israeli forces announced they eliminated three suspected terrorists from a cave in Jenin, West Bank. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security agency explained that they conducted a counterterrorism operation against terrorists who were involved in terrorist activities in Jenin, during an operational activity in the Kafr Qud area.

12:56 PM | October 28

Israel blocks Hamas visits with the Red Cross on the Yellow Line

Israel has decided to suspend Hamas visits with the Red Cross to the Yellow Line area, under IDF control. The Israeli authorities' halt comes after violations attributed to Hamas in the return of hostages' bodies. Israel believes the return of Ophir Tzarfati's remains—in place of another body from the 13 hostages still held in Gaza—was deliberate and therefore sanctions should be imposed on Hamas. Until now, the terrorist organization has been authorized to visit the area to search for hostages' bodies in the Palestinian enclave.

12:54 PM | October 28

Cardinal Pizzaballa: Rebuilding Gaza Will Be Big Business

Rebuilding Gaza will be a great business opportunity. My concern is that decisions are being made without the people who live in Gaza, but those who lived through that tragedy cannot be excluded; it would be further violence: the reconstruction must be done by them. This was stated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in conjunction with the Lombardy Regional Council.

12:40 PM | October 28

Hamas: Israel is obstructing the search for hostages; we are calling on mediators to intervene.

Israel is refusing to allow the Red Cross and Hamas operatives to enter eastern Gaza City, in the northern part of the Strip, to search for the bodies of the remaining hostages, a senior source in the Palestinian Islamist movement said, cited by the Qatari-owned pan-Arab satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera. It should be remembered that eastern Gaza City is beyond the Yellow Line, thus in one of the areas under the control of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as stipulated in the ongoing truce agreement between Hamas and Tel Aviv. The senior official from the Islamist group emphasized that Israel is making search operations difficult and his claims about Hamas's slowness are false. Israel is raising false claims about the bodies (of the hostages) in order to justify its intention to attack the Strip. We call on the mediators to assume their responsibility in this matter, the same source said. Hamas has yet to return the bodies of 13 of the Israeli hostages who died in captivity and who are believed to be buried under tons of rubble.

12:23 PM | October 28

Family held hostage: Forced to reopen tomb for third time

Once again, deception has been perpetrated against a family trying to recover. This is the comment of the family of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ofir Tsarfati, whose partial remains were returned by Hamas overnight, as reported by Ynet. We went to sleep last night with the expectation and hope that another family would close the circle, but once again, deception has been perpetrated at our expense.

This morning, they add, they showed us the video of Hamas recovering the remains of our beloved son, burying him, and calling the Red Cross. A despicable manipulation aimed at sabotaging the agreement and canceling the return of all the hostages. This is the third time we have been forced to open Ofir's grave and rebury our son. The circle supposedly"closed" in December 2023, but it never truly closes. Since then, we have lived with a wound that continues to reopen.

12:21 PM | October 28

Hamas: Israel obstructs investigations and lies about bodies

Hamas accuses Israel of blocking its members and the Red Cross's access to Gaza to search for the bodies of the 13 hostages still held in the Palestinian enclave and of spreading lies about them. A member of the terrorist organization told Al Jazeera that Israel is obstructing search operations in eastern Gaza. In his statements, the anonymous Hamas official claims that Israel's version of the resistance's slowdown in operations is false. It fabricates lies about the bodies to implement aggressive intentions, demanding intermediaries take responsibility.

Hamas's accusations come after the coffin returned to Israel last night identified as the remains of a hostage, 27-year-old Ofir Tzarfati, who returned to his homeland in December 2023 and was found in an IDF operation in Gaza. The Israeli government and the families of the hostages have strongly condemned the attacks, which risk leading to retaliatory measures against Hamas, accused of yet another violation of the ceasefire agreement, particularly the conditions established in this initial phase.

12:19 PM | October 28

Pizzaballa: In Gaza and Israel, two peoples are in trauma.

The Palestinian and Israeli peoples were and are two peoples in the midst of a trauma that has been reopened, says Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, connected with the Regional Council of Lombardy. What happened on October 7, 2023, reopened and unleashed a war the scale of which no one would have ever expected, adds Pizzaballa. First of all, because of its length and then because of its magnitude, it was something no one would have ever predicted, and it took time to understand what was happening. October 7 reopened deep wounds in the Israeli people, an attack likened to a small Shoah. It was not one of the usual attacks. And what happened in Gaza, he continues, was not one of the usual periodic wars in Gaza; in the population's perception, it was something different, which also evoked the trauma of the Nakba and the forced transfer of Palestinians. This was also influenced by certain statements by Israeli ministers Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, he emphasizes, who spoke of total deportation and the reoccupation of Gaza. The Palestinians no longer felt safe. What happened in Gaza was not just a military war, but a war fought with words, which was also waged with language. At the UN, it sometimes took months to reach a declaration precisely because there was no consensus on the words. War is not waged with weapons alone, the Cardinal observes. And the language of contempt began before October 7th. There had been talk of rejection of the other for too long. I, Pizzaballa concludes, am a pastor and I have responsibilities for my community. It hasn't been easy to manage this deep hatred and these polarizations within society to keep my community together. My faithful are in Gaza under the bombs, but also on the other side of the fence, in Israel, doing military service.

12:16 PM | October 28

Hostage Families: We Demand Immediate Meeting with Netanyahu

The families of Israeli hostages have said they demand an immediate meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu given the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas's serious violation of the agreement. Israeli broadcaster N12 reports. The families' statement came after Netanyahu's office confirmed that the coffin handed over last night by Hamas to the Red Cross, and subsequently to Israel, contained the remains of Israeli soldier Ofir Tzarfati, who was kidnapped during the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023, and then repatriated from the Gaza Strip in a military operation about two years ago. This constitutes a clear violation of the agreement by the terrorist organization Hamas. Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a security consultation with the heads of the defense establishment, during which Israel's response to these violations will be discussed, Netanyahu's office stated. There remain 13 bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza, which Hamas will have to return to Israel under the truce agreement in place since October 10.

12:16 PM | October 28

Family Forum: Hamas violates truce agreement, must act decisively

The Forum of the Families of Hostages has urged Israeli authorities to take decisive action against Hamas, accusing the group of violating the truce by only partially returning the remains of a previously rescued prisoner."In light of Hamas's grave violation of the agreement last night... the Israeli government cannot and must not ignore this and must act decisively," the Forum of the Families of Hostages and Missing Persons said in a statement. Today, Israel announced that partial remains of hostages returned by Hamas yesterday belong to a deceased prisoner rescued by the army approximately two years ago.

12:14 PM | October 28

Who is Hussein Sheikh, Abu Mazen's successor: PLO vice-president, spent 11 years in Israeli prisons, speaks Hebrew

(Davide Frattini, correspondent from Jerusalem) Most Palestinians have never seen the white cube of the Kirya, even from afar, while in the Israeli Pentagon Hussein Sheikh can enter welcomed by the generals. He is the liaison man with the General Staff, charged by President Abu Mazen with representing a semblance of autonomy, he is our man in Ramallah as the IDF officials and secret service agents call him, a nickname that belittles those claims of independence and which has made him unpopular among the inhabitants of the West Bank. And yet the raìs – 90 years old in a few days, his heart tired from too many cigarettes – chose him in February as vice president of the Palestine Liberation Organization, a role that had only existed between 1967 and 1969. In fact, as his number two also in the Authority: a position confirmed at the end of last week with a bureaucratic statement that is however full of political value. He announced that in the event of a vacancy in the presidency—that is, if he is unable to fill the role—the leadership will go to his deputy, Hussein. He added a list of steps leading up to the elections to meet the reform demands insisted upon by the Americans. Abu Mazen has been in office since the death of
Yasser Arafat
in 2004, and his role was due to expire five years later: since then, he has always postponed the elections, once again in 2021, denouncing that the Israelis would not allow a fair vote in East Jerusalem and Gaza. The last time Palestinians were able to choose who to represent in parliament was in 2006, when the fundamentalists of Hamas won. His Fatah party is in a state of collapse and is divided by internal power struggles: it is unlikely that veterans like Jibril Rajoub and exiles awaiting pardon like Mohammed Dahlan will accept the transfer of power to Hussein Sheikh without demanding elections. The 64-year-old, with his salt-and-pepper hair always slicked back, who wears tailored suits and luxury watches, will certainly be the interim president upon Abu Mazen's death. As a young man, Sheikh spent eleven years in Israeli prisons, where he learned Hebrew. Even before rising to second place in the hierarchy, he was considered one of the most powerful men in the West Bank: his Civil Affairs office manages permits for entry into Israel for work or healthcare. His decisions can impact the daily lives of Palestinians struggling to navigate checkpoints and curfews, but also the luxury vacations of privileged individuals with ties to the Authority: without Hussein Sheikh's green light, you can't get anywhere.

12:02 PM | October 28

Tzarfati Family: All Hostages at Risk of Return

The Tzarfati family has expressed their grief and condemnation following the return of more of their son's remains by Hamas last night."This is a despicable manipulation aimed at undermining the agreement and abandoning the return of all hostages," the family of 27-year-old Ofir declared after viewing the video documenting the removal of their son's remains, the reburial, and an appeal to the Red Cross. Channel 12 reported this after the remains returned last night were identified by the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute as those of Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was returned to Israel in December 2023 following an IDF operation in Gaza, less than two months after his abduction."We went to sleep expecting and hoping that another family would close a two-year cycle of anguish and return their loved one to burial, but instead we will have to open the grave and rebury our son for the third time," the family of the young Hamas victim continued.

12:01 PM | October 28

West Bank: Two of the Palestinian militants killed by Israeli forces in Jenin were Hamas members.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, confirmed that two of the three militants killed this morning by Israeli forces in Jenin, in the West Bank, were members of the group. In a statement broadcast by the Qatari-owned pan-Arab satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera, the Al-Qassam Brigades identified their militants killed by Israeli forces as Abdullah Jalamneh and Qais al-Baytawi. The other man killed, according to the same statement, was named Ahmad Nasharti."All the measures of the occupation (Israel) in persecuting the resistance (Islamist groups) in the West Bank will not dissuade our mujahideen from continuing to target its soldiers," the Al-Qassam Brigades said.

This morning, Israeli forces announced that they eliminated three suspected terrorists who were in a cave in Jenin. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security agency explained that they conducted a counterterrorism operation this morning against terrorists who took part in terrorist activities in Jenin, during an operational activity in the Kafr Qud area.

11:47 AM | October 28

Netanyahu's office: Hamas handed over remains of soldiers brought back to Israel two years ago

Ofir Tzarfati, 27, was shot and wounded while being kidnapped from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023. On November 27 of that year, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed his death, and on December 1, they announced that they had recovered his body from Gaza and that he had been buried in Kiryat Ata, southern Israel. Tzarfati, who was celebrating his 27th birthday at the rave on October 7 two years ago, reportedly tried to escape and hide with his friends when Hamas militants opened fire. He and his group of friends managed to reach their car, and after ensuring his girlfriend was safe inside, Tzarfati got into another car. Days later, his girlfriend was informed that Tzarfati had been shot and seriously wounded in the other car and then taken hostage to Gaza.

11:27 AM | October 28

The remains returned are those of the hostage Ofir Tzarfati.

The remains returned last night by Hamas are those of hostage Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered two years ago by the IDF in a military operation in Gaza. This was reported by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, as reported by Channel 12. Tzarfati, 27, was shot while being kidnapped from the Supernova music festival on October 7, 2023. This is a clear violation of the agreement by Hamas, which is obliged to return the bodies of the 13 killed prisoners still held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office declared this after announcing that the remains returned last night by Hamas belong to Ofir Tzarfati, whose body was recovered by the IDF in Gaza in December 2023, less than two months after his abduction. This afternoon, Netanyahu will hold an urgent Security Cabinet meeting with top defense officials to discuss Israel's response to the violations, his office added in a statement.

11:23 AM | October 28

Families held hostage, prolonged terror. The agreement is not a good one.

This is prolonged terror for over two years, the agreement is no good: this is what the families of the fallen hostages still held in Gaza declare, harshly criticizing the management of the negotiations and calling on the government to change its relationship with Hamas following recent violations of the ceasefire agreement on the return of bodies. The appeal from the hostages' families comes after the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute identified the body returned last night by Hamas not as one of the 13 hostages still held in Gaza, but as the remains of a victim already returned. This agreement is no good, that's the conclusion. Hamas has no incentive to transfer all the fallen soldiers to Israel. The families are living a nightmare, said Rubi Chen, father of Sergeant Itay Chen. Another turbulent night. There is no respite or response for at least one family. It's unclear why we are in this terrible game. We are trying to understand the details of the plan. Why is the pressure on Hamas not yielding results? None of the 13 families have received a response. This is prolonged terror for over two years, commented Ronen, father of Captain Omer Neutra.

11:08 AM | October 28

IDF: Body of kidnapped soldier buried in grave by Hamas

The IDF reported using a drone to document Hamas militants removing the body of a kidnapped Israeli soldier from an apartment and burying it in a trench dug by a tractor, covering it with earth. Shortly thereafter, the terrorist group called Red Cross personnel to an area where excavations were underway near the Daraj-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. The IDF has not yet released the incriminating footage, but reserve soldiers, whose testimony was broadcast on IDF Radio, reported the incident. A letter from MK Zvi Sukkot to IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister Israel Katz states that the soldiers report that the entire event was captured on IDF drone cameras, and the sequence of the terrorists' actions, from the removal of the body to the presentation of the"discovery" to the Red Cross, can be clearly seen. This is a clear violation of the agreement. The announcement comes after Hamas returned a body to Israel last night, but initial forensic analyses show that it is not the body of one of the 13 hostages still held in Gaza, but rather the remains of another victim already returned. The identification of these remains, which were handed over in the past few hours, is currently pending.

11:02 AM | October 28

Former Israeli PM Bennett: Hamas must be destroyed

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for the destruction of Hamas for its ceasefire violations in the Gaza Strip, after the Palestinian Islamist group allegedly handed over the remains of a previously returned hostage, rather than the body of another prisoner. In a statement cited by The Times of Israel, Bennett—considered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's main rival in the upcoming elections, scheduled for next year—said:"Hamas is a cancer. Hamas must be destroyed."

10:52 AM | October 28

Ben Gvir to Netanyahu: Stop hesitating, let's destroy Hamas

Following the violation in the return of a hostage's body last night, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is calling for retaliation against Hamas. The fact that Hamas continues to play along and does not immediately transfer the bodies of all our fallen soldiers is in itself proof that the terrorist organization is still standing. It's time to break those legs once and for all, he said, quoted by Yenet. We must not"exact a price from Hamas" for these violations, but rather seize its very existence and destroy it completely. Prime Minister, enough with the hesitations: give the order.

​Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, asking him to convene the security cabinet: We cannot allow Hamas to mock Israeli citizens and cruelly and cynically play with the emotions of the families of the fallen hostages, he wrote.

10:31 AM | October 28

Netanyahu corruption hearing ends at 1:30 p.m.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to appear again in his corruption trial. Behind closed doors, the Israeli prime minister requested an extension of his term. The judges granted his request, so today's hearing will conclude at 1:30 p.m., according to Ynet. Today, Netanyahu will convene an urgent meeting to assess Israel's response to Hamas's violations in returning hostages' bodies and the conditions established for the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

10:27 AM | October 28

Netanyahu calls urgent meeting on Hamas violations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene an urgent meeting today to assess a response to Hamas's violations in returning the remains of hostages under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Israeli press reports emphasize that the meeting was called after Hamas returned the remains of a previously released hostage last night instead of the body of one of the 13 hostages still being held. Israel insists that the terrorist group is dithering on the ceasefire obligation, which came into effect on October 10. According to some sources, Netanyahu is considering moving the Yellow Line dividing Gaza in two, placing additional territory under IDF control. This morning, the Israeli prime minister was in court for a hearing in his corruption trial, which will end early at 1:30 PM.

10:05 AM | October 28

Over 70,000 people in Gaza are infected with hepatitis C.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital doctor Khalil al-Daqran told Al Jazeera Arabic that more than 70,000 people in Gaza are infected with hepatitis C and require urgent treatment outside the Strip."We call for the immediate opening of crossings to limit the spread of epidemic diseases in Gaza," al-Daqran said.

9:34 AM | October 28

Yesterday Hamas staged the discovery of the hostage's body

According to eyewitness reports from IDF reservists, Hamas staged the discovery of the body handed over yesterday. Several Israeli media outlets reported this. Channel 12 and Army Radio cited reservists stationed in eastern Gaza City, who said Hamas operatives carried out excavation work in the area before extracting a body from a nearby building and placing it in the hole. Hamas then covered the body with earth and called the Red Cross to assist with the excavation. Army Radio said the entire incident was filmed by a military drone. The IDF has not yet commented.

9:31 AM | October 28

Peace Plan? The Genocide Continues: Those Pro-Pal Protesters Protesting the Truce in Gaza

(by Tommaso Labate) I carry the pain of a people being tortured by bombs. And now I fear that the word peace will complete what the genocide failed to do. Like every movement, this one too has a political line, an overall vision, a number one commandment. In the case in question, that of the mammoth opinion machine identified by the acronym Pro Pal which continues to churn out kilometers of debate even after the Sharm el-Sheikh agreements and the ceasefire in Gaza , the basic thesis was impressed in the notebooks of journalists Francesca Albanese during the Perugia-Assisi march, which took place practically at the same time as the final steps of the agreement desired by Donald Trump.

Exactly two weeks after the plan signed in Egypt, the ceasefire, the return of Israeli hostages to Tel Aviv and that of Palestinian prisoners to Gaza, the clock of a part of the Pro Pal movement seems to have remained stuck at the most dramatic phases of the conflict (...).

​

​Read the full article here

9:30 AM | October 28

Pizzaballa: Gaza is turning the page, but a generational leap is needed

Gaza is turning the page, but a generational leap is needed, and deciding on its future is not up to the leaderships that have turned the Strip into a pile of rubble. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and member of the Vatican's dicasteries for the Eastern Churches and for Christian Unity, stated this in an interview with La Stampa."The reconstruction of Gaza will not be carried out by Kushner or Blair," he added."The real reconstruction will be carried out by those volunteers who, one after another, by getting their hands dirty, will be able to rebuild the civil and human fabric that the war has destroyed."Is reconstruction beginning? We are dealing with human as well as material rubble," he continued."Schools, hospitals, and homes no longer exist. There is a hatred that was unleashed by the war and which in turn has generated new hatred. And hatred destroys you inside and also destroys others. So now everything must be rebuilt, starting with trust." Because hatred destroys trust, and it's impossible to rebuild without a modicum of faith in the future, in others, in family, in the entire social fabric. Soon—adds Cardinal Pizzaballa—the media will stop talking about Gaza, and therefore the world will stop seeing the Strip, but the people will remain there, without homes, schools, hospitals, or anything. And being present there will be even more necessary. Aid is still scarce. The first objective is to stabilize the area. Gaza cannot be separated from the West Bank; they are parts of the same people. The West Bank is a central hub. We must not give in to the logic of conflict. We must defend the ability to speak a language other than that of weapons, he concludes.

9:24 AM | October 28

In the new coffin delivered by Hamas are the other remains of a hostage already returned to Israel

Israeli authorities have confirmed that the coffin delivered last night by Hamas to the Red Cross, later transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv, contains remains previously returned for the burial of another hostage. The Times of Israel reports this. Consequently, the remains do not belong to any of the 13 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. After the initial identification process, experts began to suspect that the body was not related to the living hostages, a hypothesis now confirmed by forensic analysis completed at the institute.

9:05 AM | October 28

Media: Netanyahu calls meeting after Hamas violation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene an urgent meeting in response to violations committed by Hamas in the return of hostages' remains and following the assessment that Hamas returned the remains of a previously returned hostage, according to Ynet, the online version of the Israeli daily Yediot Ahronoth. Israel is reportedly considering several possible responses to these violations, including extending the Yellow Line under IDF control.

8:45 AM | October 28

Media: The body returned by Hamas may not be that of the Israeli hostage.

Israeli authorities suspect that the body handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross last night and transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv does not belong to any of the Israeli hostages. After hours of examination, experts were unable to establish the identity and have begun further analyses, which could take up to two days, the Times of Israel reports. According to official sources, most bodies returned by Hamas or recovered in Gaza are identified within hours. In this case, however, there is growing speculation that the body is not the same as any of the 13 deceased hostages whose remains are still in the Strip.

8:11 AM | October 28

Israel's anger over the UN mission in Lebanon: One of our drones was shot down. The response: It was aggressive.

(by Andrea Nicastro)  Skirmishes between UN peacekeepers in Lebanon and the Israeli army. Heated words and live gunfire that fortunately caused no casualties.

On Sunday afternoon UNIFIL shot down a drone with the Star of David in the Kfar Kila area, in southern Lebanon, on the border with Israel. In response the IDF sent another drone that dropped a grenade.

These are the facts admitted by both sides, but both the international peacekeeping forces and the Israeli military give different versions of what happened (...).

​​Read the article here

8:09 AM | October 28

UN: Deeply concerned over IDF attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

The United Nations expressed deep concern over Israel's attack on Sunday against a unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which occurred near Kfar Kila and resulted in no injuries. According to Secretary-General António Guterres's spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, an Israeli drone launched a grenade near a UN peacekeepers patrol, followed by fire from an Israeli tank."This is extremely dangerous: any action that endangers the safety of peacekeepers is unacceptable and must cease immediately," Dujarric said, adding that the UN mission has vigorously protested to the Israel Defense Forces. Tel Aviv denied targeting UNIFIL soldiers, claiming the grenade was fired only to prevent UN soldiers from approaching the wreckage of a downed Israeli drone. The incident comes amid heightened tensions along the Blue Line, despite the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, is in Israel to discuss with local authorities the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which establishes an end to hostilities between the parties and respect for security on both sides of the border.

7:32 AM | October 28

Israeli media say Hamas staged the discovery of the hostage's body.

According to testimonies from Israeli reservists cited by local media, Hamas staged the discovery of the body of a person the group claims is a deceased hostage. As reported by Channel 12 and Army Radio, the militants dug up an area in eastern Gaza City, brought a body from a nearby building, and placed the corpse in the hole. They then covered it up and called the Red Cross to witness the alleged discovery. The entire sequence was filmed by an Israeli military drone, according to Army Radio. The Israeli military (IDF) has not yet officially commented on the allegations. Yesterday evening, Hamas handed over the body to the Red Cross, which then transferred it to the Israeli military in Gaza. The body was sent to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv for identification.

7:31 AM | October 28

Three Palestinians killed in the West Bank

Israeli police say that officers from the special unit Yamam killed three Palestinian terrorists during a raid in the village of Kafr Qud, in the northern West Bank near Jenin. Local media reported.

The Israeli police explained that the officers operated on the basis of information provided by the Shin Bet and with the support of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), to foil a terrorist cell planning an attack. Yamam snipers opened fire and killed the three who had emerged from a cave in the village. Shortly thereafter, the Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike in the area, targeting the cave itself.

1:45 AM | October 28

Up to 2 days needed to identify remains

Once it reaches the Tel Aviv Forensic Institute, it could take up to two days, according to Israeli authorities, to determine whether the remains in the coffin, delivered to the IDF by Hamas through the Red Cross, are those of an Israeli hostage who died in captivity. Hamas has not provided the identity of the hostage. If the body is confirmed to be that of one of the kidnapped, 12 bodies would still be missing.

0:49 | October 27

Remains held hostage at Abu Kabir Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification

According to Israeli media reports, the Ministry of Health announced that the remains of the deceased hostage, collected by the Red Cross from Hamas in Gaza City and taken out of the Gaza Strip by IDF troops, have arrived at the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.

October 28, 12:49 AM - Updated October 28, 8:10 PM