iSRAEL AND hAMAS:
- After hostages and prisoners are freed, complex issues remain for Israel-Hamas ceasefire
- Israel says it has received the remains of 4 more deceased hostages as cuts to aid for Gaza loom
- Israel confirms identities of returned hostages
- Long journey to recovery
- Palestinian prisoners allege mistreatment
- Long-term challenges for lasting peace
- Bodies of 45 deceased Palestinians transferred from Israel to Gaza remain unidentified, Nasser hospital says
- Red Cross vehicles transport the remains of deceased hostages on Tuesday in Gaza City
After hostages and prisoners are freed, complex issues remain for Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Courtesy Barrie360.com and The Associated Press
By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy And Melanie Lidman
People gather to greet freed Palestinian prisoners arriving on buses in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.
But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza — and the question of Palestinian statehood — remain unresolved, highlighting the fragility of an agreement that for now only pauses the deadliest conflict in the history of Israel and the Palestinians.
For Israelis, the release of the 20 remaining living hostages brought elation and a sense of closure to a war many felt they were forced into by Hamas, although many pledged to fight on for the return of deceased hostages still in Gaza. But with the living hostages freed, the urgency with which many were driven to call for an end to the war will likely diminish, easing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phases of the agreement.
Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza.
While there was an outburst of joy in Gaza for prisoners returning from Israel and hope that the fighting may wind down for good, the torment drags on for war-weary Palestinians. Gaza has been decimated by Israeli bombardment; there is little left of its prewar economy, basic services are in disarray and many homes have been destroyed.
Israel says the deal achieves its war objectives
U.S. President Donald Trump traveled to the region to celebrate the deal. In an address to Israel’s parliament, he urged lawmakers to seize a chance for broader peace in the region. In Egypt, he and other world leaders gathered to set the trickier parts of the deal into motion.
Netanyahu, who according to his office did not join the meeting in Egypt because of a Jewish holiday, told parliament that he was committed to the agreement, saying it “ends the war by achieving all our objectives.” Israel had said it would not end the war until all the hostages were freed and Hamas was defeated. Critics accused Netanyahu of allowing the war to drag on for political reasons, which he denied.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, when militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 captives. Israel’s retaliatory campaign killed more than 67,000 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the U.N. and many independent experts.
The war has rippled across the Middle East, with conflict erupting between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen and Iran itself.
Israel is elated by the return of the living hostages
Israelis watched with jubilation in public screenings as the 20 living hostages, all male, reunited with their families. Crowds broke into cheers, as tears of joy streamed down relieved faces.
“You are alive! Two arms and two legs,” said Zvika Mor, upon seeing his son Eitan for the first time in two years.
When Bar Kupershtein was reunited with his family, his father, Tal, who uses a wheelchair after a car accident and stroke, fulfilled a promise to himself by standing up for a few minutes to embrace his freed son.
Unlike previous releases, Hamas held no ceremonies for the captives before freeing them. Instead, families received video calls from masked militants who allowed them a first glimpse at their loved ones before they came home.
The plight of the hostages had widespread support in Israel, where thousands would join the families for weekly protests demanding Israel secure their release.
The fate of the hostages was a central driver of a movement in Israel to end the war. Many Israelis viewed Netanyahu’s twin goals of freeing the captives and defeating Hamas as incompatible.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said any delay by Hamas in retuning the remaining bodies of deceased hostages would be viewed as a violation of the ceasefire deal.
Israel frees some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners
Large crowds greeted freed prisoners in Beitunia in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Khan Younis in Gaza. The prisoners flashed V-for-victory signs as they descended from buses that took them either to the West Bank, Gaza or into exile.
“Praise be to God, our Lord, who has honored us with this release and this joy,” said Mahmoud Fayez, who was returned to Gaza after being detained early last year in an Israeli raid on the main Shifa Hospital.
The prisoners include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge.
The fate of the prisoners is a sensitive issue in Palestinian society, where almost everyone knows or is related to someone who has been imprisoned by Israel. They are viewed by Palestinians as freedom fighters.
Trump celebrates the deal in Israel and Egypt
In his Knesset speech, Trump told Israeli lawmakers their country must now work toward peace.
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,” Trump said. “Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
His speech was briefly interrupted when two Knesset members staged a protest and were subsequently removed from the chamber. One held up a small sign reading, “Recognize Palestine.”
In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Trump attended a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who administers parts of the West Bank, also attended.
Despite Trump’s optimism, many thorny issues remain
Among the most difficult issues left to resolve is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Abbas’ Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed — but it requires the authority to undergo reforms that could take years.
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police. Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.
The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.
___
This story has been updated to correct that cheering crowds greeted prisoners in Beitunia, not Ramallah.
___
Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel and Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, contributed to this report
Israel says it has received the remains of 4 more deceased hostages as cuts to aid for Gaza loom
By SAM MEDNICK and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO October 14, 2025
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Hamas hastened Tuesday to ease the pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel by returning the bodies of more dead hostages. The move came after an Israeli military agency said it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza by half over concerns that the militant group was handing remains over slower than agreed.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed late Tuesday that authorities received four deceased hostages that the Red Cross handed over to Israeli military authorities inside Gaza. The bodies will be taken to the National Center for Forensic Medicine where they will be identified and the families notified.
This latest transfer of remains comes a day after Israel received the bodies of four other dead hostages. Despite the development, it was unclear if the Israeli military agency known as COGAT will follow through with its decision to allow into Gaza only half of the 600 aid trucks called for under the deal.
The United Nations’ humanitarian office in famine-stricken Gaza received word of the humanitarian aid cuts from the Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory, according to spokesperson Olga Cherevko. U.S. officials were also notified, according to three Associated Press sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern in a social media post that too few of the dead hostages have been returned. He made no mention of Israel halving the flow of aid into the territory.
Trump also warned Hamas that if “they don’t disarm, we will disarm them.”
A day earlier, Israelis celebrated the return of the last 20 living hostages in Gaza and Palestinians rejoiced at Israel’s release of some 2,000 prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire’s first phase.
Families of hostages express dismay
Hamas and the Red Cross have said that recovering the remains of dead hostages is a challenge because of Gaza’s destruction, and Hamas told mediators of the deal that some are in areas controlled by Israeli troops.
The U.S.-proposed ceasefire plan called for all hostages living and dead to be handed over within 72 hours, meaning on Monday. But it provided a mechanism if that didn’t happen, saying Hamas should share information about deceased hostages and “exert maximum effort” to carry out the handover as soon as possible.
Families of hostages and their supporters expressed dismay that only four of the 28 bodies were returned on Monday. The Hostages Family Forum, representing many families, called it a “blatant violation of the agreement by Hamas.”
The top official in Israel coordinating the return of hostages and the missing, Gal Hirsch, told the families in a note that pressure was being applied on Hamas through mediators to expedite the process. A copy of the note was seen by the AP and its authenticity was confirmed by someone with knowledge of the statement.
Israel confirms identities of returned hostages
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the identity of the four dead hostages returned on Monday: Guy Illouz from Israel, Bipin Joshi from Nepal, Cpt. Daniel Peretz and Yossi Sharabi.
Illouz was abducted from a music festival, Joshi from a bomb shelter and Sharabi from Be’eri Kibbutz during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that ignited the war.
Israel said Illouz died of his wounds without proper medical treatment, while Joshi was killed in the war’s first months.
Families left waiting expressed concern.
Ela Haimi said she didn’t know if the body of her husband, Tal, would be returned by Hamas in a few hours, days or ever. “I am afraid they will stop the return,” she said. Tal Haimi was killed while defending his kibbutz during the 2023 attack.
Long journey to recovery
The freed Israeli hostages were in medical care, and some families said it would be weeks before the men could go home.
Dalia Cusnir-Horn said brother-in-law Eitan Horn had lost more than 40% of his body weight after receiving very little food in the last few months. The physical toll was only part of the trauma, she said.
“He’s just learning now … friends he knew that were murdered, and he had no clue how many people were kidnapped on that day and what this country went through, and it’s overwhelming and it’s hard,” Cusnir-Horn said.
Moshe Levi spoke of brother-in-law Omri Miran’s elation at playing with his young daughters — one less than a year old when her father was taken hostage.
“He could feel like he’s a father again,” Levi said.
Palestinian prisoners allege mistreatment
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza, where hundreds of prisoners and detainees were released, several were taken to hospitals.
Murad Barakat, medical director of the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, said the facility received 14 men and discharged all but two.
Doctors said their conditions suggested they “were subjected to severe beatings, reflecting the extent of the violence they endured,” said Imed al-Shami, a resident doctor at the hospital.
Kamal Abu Shanab, who was released after more than 18 years, said beatings caused his shoulder to tear. “For eight months, I wasn’t given even a pill for the pain,” he said.
AP could not independently verify the claims. Israel’s Prison Service said it was unaware of such claims.
Nasser Hospital in Gaza said the Red Cross transferred the bodies of 45 Palestinians to its morgue. The bodies were the first of an expected 450 to arrive.
Long-term challenges for lasting peace
Difficult questions remain about Gaza’s future, including whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern and help rebuild the territory. Also unanswered is the question of Palestinian statehood.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 15 Palestinian technocrats have been selected to administer Gaza, with approval from Israel, Hamas and all other Palestinian factions.
Palestinians in Gaza appealed for authorities to move quickly to restore some semblance of normality. “There is no infrastructure, electricity, water or anything that is fit for life,” said Mohamad Abu Hajras, one of the many displaced.
On Tuesday, the U.N. development agency said the latest joint estimate with the European Union and the World Bank is that rebuilding Gaza will require $70 billion.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israeli forces pulled back to where they were in August, before launching their latest offensive on Gaza City. A number of hard-hit Palestinian neighborhoods remain under Israeli control, and Israel has warned residents not to try to return to homes there.
Gaza’s Health Ministry on Tuesday said the bodies of three people killed by Israel’s military in the north were taken to Al Ahli hospital. The military said troops had “opened fire to remove the threat” of several people approaching them and not complying with orders to stop. It didn’t immediately comment on any casualties.
The war has killed over 67,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead, and many independent experts say its figures are the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.
___Dell’Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press journalists Matthew Lee and Aamer Mahdani in Washington; Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank; and Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al Balah, Gaza, contributed to this report.
___Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
SAM MEDNICK: Mednick is an AP correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian Territories. She focuses on conflict, humanitarian crises and human rights abuses. Mednick formerly covered West & Central Africa and South Sudan.
GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO: Dell’Orto is a multimedia reporter with The AP’s Global Religion team. She has reported across the United States, Europe and Latin America, covering events and issues ranging from the conclave to the Olympics, from immigration to the intersection of Indigenous spirituality and the environment.
Bodies of 45 deceased Palestinians transferred from Israel to Gaza remain unidentified, Nasser hospital says
From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Mohammed Tawfeeq
A truck carrying the bodies of Palestinians who had been held in Israel during the war, arrives at Nasser hospital on Tuesday.
Ramadan Abed/Reuters
The bodies of 45 deceased Palestinians transferred from Israel to the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis have not been identified, the hospital’s forensic department told CNN on Tuesday.
The International Committee of the Red Cross transported the bodies on Monday as part of the exchange of detainees and hostages between Israel and Gaza.
It’s unclear where, when, or how the 45 Palestinians died. CNN asked the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) about the circumstances around the deaths.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said Israel has not provided a list of deceased Palestinians’ names. The ministry has previously suggested that either Israel knows the names but refuses to provide them or that Israel could have recovered the bodies while searching for Israeli hostages and did not determine their identities.
All of the bodies arrived at the facility with their hands and legs cuffed, the hospital said. The remains were being held in refrigerators in Israel and came with numbers marking them, rather than names, according to the hospital.
“Some are blindfolded, and there are signs of gunshot wounds in some cases, while others have been run over by tanks,” Nasser hospital said.
The hospital said it will ask the families of missing persons to help identify them.
In a statement, the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons called on Israel to provide all available information on the bodies being handed over “including the names of the victims and details about the circumstances of their deaths.”
CNN has reached out to the Israeli government for comment.
CNN’s Dana Karni contributed to this report.
Remains of four deceased hostages enter Israel, IDF says
From CNN’s Billy Stockwell, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Dana Karni
The Israeli military has just said that four coffins containing the remains of deceased hostages have now crossed the border into Israel.
The deceased hostages are on their way to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) said in a statement, where identification procedures will be carried out.
Police forces are accompanying the coffins on their journey to the institute, Israeli police said in a statement.
Israeli forces in Gaza receive remains of four deceased hostages, Netanyahu’s office says
Red Cross vehicles transport the remains of deceased hostages on Tuesday in Gaza City.
Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
The remains of four deceased hostages have now been received by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency in Gaza, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
“Israel has received, via the Red Cross, four fallen hostages who were handed over to IDF and Shin Bet forces inside the Gaza Strip,” the office said in a statement.
The deceased hostages will now be transferred to Israel, the office said, where they will be received in a military ceremony before being identified.