CNN: US President Donald Trump said that the security situation in Gaza remains difficult, expressing hope that Hamas will honor its commitments. “I did not say we would enter Gaza,” Trump added, “but there are those who will if Hamas does not stop the killings.”

CNN: A US official told CNN that the State Department has dispatched a team to the Middle East to accelerate the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israel Hayom reported that Netanyahu and Trump spoke this evening about the pace of returning the bodies of Israeli captives from Gaza. The paper said Netanyahu briefed Trump on Israel’s planned steps in response to Hamas’ delays, and that Trump expressed support for Israel’s measures.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The Gaza Government Media Office said there are approximately 20,000 unexploded ordnances left by Israeli forces across the Strip, posing a major threat to civilians.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: More testimonies emerge of brutal sexual assault and rape, with the use of sticks and police dogs, of Palestinian detainees by Israeli prison authorities.

Palestinian Detainees Recount Rape with Sticks, Police Dogs in Israeli Prisons – Report

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY:

The Director General of Hospitals in Gaza said that the bodies received from Israel showed clear signs of torture and tank tread marks.

He confirmed that only six of the 120 bodies have been identified so far.

Refrigeration capacity allows for storage for just one week, after which burial will be necessary.

REUTERS: US President Donald Trump said: “If Hamas continues killing people in Gaza, we will have no choice but to intervene and kill them.”

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: The Gaza Government Media Office stated that only 480 aid trucks entered the Strip on Wednesday — a fraction of what is needed. The enclave requires 600 aid trucks daily to meet basic needs.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israel prevented a Turkish delegation — which included rescue teams and heavy equipment — from entering the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials claimed that Hamas knows the location of most of the captives’ bodies and can recover them without foreign involvement.

WHITE HOUSE: The White House said that US Envoy Witkoff and senior advisor Jared Kushner are coordinating efforts with all parties to locate the bodies of Israeli captives in Gaza.

HAMAS STATEMENT:

The head of Hamas’ Prisoners and Martyrs Office said that Operation Al-Aqsa Flood freed over 4,000 prisoners, including 500 serving life sentences.

He emphasized that Palestinian national rights are non-negotiable and rejected any form of international guardianship over the Palestinian people.

“The battle did not and will not end with the silence of the guns — it continues,” he said.

WHO: WHO Regional Director Hanan Balkhy warned that disease outbreaks in Gaza are now “out of control,” with only 13 of 36 hospitals partially functioning.

UNITED NATIONS: UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reiterated the need to open all crossings into Gaza to expand humanitarian access.

AL-JAZEERA: Recently released and deported prisoner Mahmoud al-Arda told Al Jazeera that Israel killed hundreds, possibly thousands, of Gazans during field interrogations.

He said the last two years were “the worst period in the history of the prisoners’ movement,” describing Israel’s Megiddo Prison as “a real slaughterhouse.”

He added that “the occupation did not only break Marwan Barghouti’s ribs, but those of many other prisoners.”

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: So long as its power to censor Palestinians remains unchecked, Meta will remain a proud enabler of Israeli colonialism to the very end.

Read the latest article by Omar Zahzah.

Meta’s Deletion of Saleh al-Jafarawi’s Instagram Account is Digital Settler Colonialism in Action

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Thursday the killing of its Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari, during Israeli airstrikes on the country.

Yemen’s Ansarallah Announces Chief of Staff Killed in Israeli Airstrikes

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A medical source told Al Jazeera that a Palestinian child was killed by Israeli occupation forces’ gunfire in the village of Al-Rihiya, south of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

FINANCIAL TIMES:

According to the Financial Times, Turkey is preparing to deploy personnel in Gaza for operations that include searching for the bodies of Israeli captives.

Last week, the Turkish Defense Ministry said its armed forces were “ready to take on any assigned mission” as part of a peacekeeping effort in Gaza.

A ministry official stated that “our armed forces, with extensive experience in peace enforcement and preservation, are ready to undertake any role requested.”

GAZA CIVIL DEFENSE: The Gaza Civil Defense reported that hundreds of bodies remain trapped under rubble due to the lack of heavy rescue equipment. Since last Friday, 103 bodies have been recovered from areas vacated by Israeli forces.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL:

Amnesty International described the extension of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia’s detention and his reported mistreatment as “a flagrant injustice.”

An Israeli court recently extended the detention of the Kamal Adwan Hospital director for another six months.

Abu Safia was arrested on December 27, 2024, after Israeli forces stormed the hospital, destroyed its facilities, and abducted him at gunpoint.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: An Israeli military court has extended the administrative detention of Gaza doctor Hussam Abu Safiya for an additional six months, his legal representative and family confirmed on Thursday.

‘Held Hostage’: Dr. Abu Safiya’s Arbitrary Detention Extended by Six Months

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE:

The Gaza Government Media Office reported that dozens of unidentified bodies were among 120 handed over by Israel.

It said that Israeli forces committed systematic torture, field executions, and killings against numerous Palestinians.

Clear rope marks indicating hanging were found on several bodies, while others had been crushed under tank tracks.

The office called for the formation of an urgent, independent international commission to investigate these crimes.

TIMES OF ISRAEL: The Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official as saying, “We expected that at least nine prisoners’ bodies would not be returned within the three days following the end of the war.” The statement came as Israel threatened to resume military operations in Gaza if Hamas failed to fully comply with the ceasefire terms, particularly regarding the return of captives’ bodies.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Al Awda Hospital reported that four Palestinians were injured by Israeli drone fire east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: In an ominous move, Trump, accompanied by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, told an assembled group of top military brass that he wanted to send the military to “dangerous” cities, specifically citing Chicago as a “military training ground” in what he calls the fight against terrorism.

The War against the People: How America’s Violence Exported abroad Returns Home

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: An Israeli soldier released under the ceasefire agreement said Hamas respected his religious practices, a revelation that contrasts sharply with reports of abuse against Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Freed Israeli Soldier: Hamas Provided Me with Torah, Prayer Items During Captivity

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY:

The Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, Munir Al-Bursh, revealed that the bodies of Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel as part of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal show clear signs of torture and severe burns.

In a post on X, Al-Bursh wrote: “The bodies of Gaza’s prisoners were returned to us bound like animals, blindfolded, and bearing horrific marks of torture and burns — a testament to the atrocities committed in secret.”

He described the injuries as “crimes that cannot be hidden,” noting that the bodies were not recovered from burial sites but had been kept in Israeli morgues for months.

‘We Died a Thousand Times’: Freed Palestinian Detainees Describe Horrific Torture

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza reported that two Palestinians were killed when an Israeli drone targeted them in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE:

The Gaza Government has declared the entire Gaza Strip an environmental and structural disaster zone due to the Israeli genocide, which has left an estimated 70 million tons of rubble and nearly 20,000 unexploded shells and missiles posing a lasting danger to civilians.

In a statement, the Government Media Office said the level of destruction caused by Israel’s war of extermination is unprecedented in modern history, with estimates indicating between 65 and 70 million tons of debris across the territory as of mid-October 2025.

ISRAELI GOVERNMENT: The Israeli government reaffirmed its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement and called on Hamas to fulfill its obligations by returning the remaining 19 captives’ bodies. It stated that the Rafah crossing will be reopened in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: US President Donald Trump has said that Hamas is “absolutely” continuing its efforts to find the bodies of Israeli captives who were held in Gaza, a key component of the ceasefire plan.

Trump Says Hamas ‘Absolutely’ Searching for Israeli Captives’ Bodies

ISRAELI MEDIA: An Israeli government spokesperson said that Israel had received the remains of nine detainees and called on the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas to return the remaining 19 bodies.

ISRAELI ARMY: Israeli media reported that an Israeli court extended the detention of Dr. Hussam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, for another six months. Abu Safia was arrested on December 27, 2024, after Israeli forces stormed the hospital in northern Gaza, destroyed its facilities, and took him at gunpoint.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 29 Palestinians were killed in the last 24 hours, including 22 whose bodies were recovered and 4 killed today in direct Israeli attacks. The ministry reported that since October 7, 2023, the death toll has risen to 67,967, with 170,179 wounded.

UNRWA:

Jonathan Fowler, Director of Communications at UNRWA, said that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic.

He stressed that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is only the first step toward alleviating the worsening crisis.

Fowler added that every day of delay in facilitating humanitarian aid results in more deaths due to malnutrition and shortages of basic necessities.

He emphasized that urgent action is needed to prevent further food shortages and disease outbreaks and to support the rebuilding of civilian life in Gaza.

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli government announced that the reopening date for the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will be determined later in coordination with Egypt. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said in a statement that humanitarian aid will not pass through Rafah, noting that aid continues to enter Gaza through other crossings.

AL-JAZEERA: Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the International Committee of the Red Cross handed over the bodies of approximately 30 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza to the Palestinian side.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: Despite a weeklong ceasefire, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in Gaza as hospitals warned of catastrophic shortages and an unrelenting humanitarian crisis.

Three Palestinians Killed as Gaza Health Crisis Deepens despite Ceasefire

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: Gaza will not forget the depth of Zionist hatred when she sees the rubble across her landscape, the mass graves of the thousands of Palestinians killed. Palestine will remember those who stood by her and those who did not.

Read the latest article by Jamal Kanj.

Gaza Will Not Forget, Palestine Will Remember

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A medical source in Gaza’s emergency services confirmed the killing of a Palestinian east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza by Israeli army fire.

UNRWA: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said that Israeli authorities continue to block the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire agreement being in effect.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to recovering the bodies of all Israeli captives killed in Gaza. He stressed that Israel will continue working to achieve all the war’s objectives, including the return of the captives’ remains.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: The Radaa Force, part of Gaza’s resistance security apparatus, is carrying out a broad campaign across the Strip to target alleged collaborators and criminal networks, with full backing from Palestinian factions.

Gaza’s Radaa Force Expands Security Operation against Suspected Collaborators

AL-JAZEERA; The Nasser Medical Complex reported that two Palestinians were killed in Khan Yunis — one targeted this morning by an Israeli quadcopter drone bomb in the Bani Suhaila area, and another who succumbed to his wounds after being shot two days ago near the College of Science and Technology in the city. The hospital also received two other injuries, one of them in serious condition, following Israeli drone fire in Bani Suhaila earlier today.

WFP: The World Food Programme announced the reopening of bakeries across various areas of the Gaza Strip, which had been closed since March.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The Nasser Medical Complex reported receiving two Palestinians in critical condition after an Israeli drone strike targeted the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, said that the health sector has seen no tangible improvement since the war ended, whether in medical services or the availability of medicine. He added that the situation remains catastrophic and emphasized that released prisoners require special medical care due to the torture they endured in detention.

ISRAELI ARMY: Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir admitted that the army failed in its primary mission on October 7, 2023 — protecting the state and its citizens.

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli army announced that it had notified the families of two soldiers killed in Gaza after their remains were identified by the National Forensic Institute. The army demanded that Hamas fulfill its commitments under the agreement and exert efforts to return the remaining bodies of Israeli captives.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: The Israeli government expects Germany to lift its partial arms export freeze and related travel warnings now that a ceasefire agreement has been reached in the Gaza Strip.

Israel Expects Germany to Lift Arms Export and Travel Restrictions Following Ceasefire

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli forces arrested Murad Shtaiwi, director of the Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, after storming his home in the town of Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya, in the occupied West Bank.

A series of intensive Israeli military operations swept across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Thursday morning, marked by arrests, home demolitions, and raids, while Israel’s government indicated that the Rafah crossing will remain closed.

West Bank Raids

Israeli occupation forces launched multiple incursions across the West Bank, resulting in arrests and damage to property:

Jenin: Occupation forces stormed the eastern district of Jenin city, arresting three young men.

Qalqilya Area: In Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya, forces arrested Murad Shteiwi, the Director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, after raiding his home. Troops transformed several houses into military barracks and closed the town’s entrances.

Azzun (East Qalqilya): occupation forces also raided the town of Azzun.

Ramallah: Israeli military bulldozers, escorted by troops, demolished a house in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah.

Occupied Jerusalem: Forces raided homes and destroyed their contents in the neighborhood of Issawiya, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

Casualties:

Eight Palestinians, including four children, were injured by Israeli gunfire during a raid on Nablus city, which included the siege of a house and an incursion into the Nablus Municipality fire station. Two other Palestinians were injured by live fire, and others suffered gas inhalation during confrontations in Qalandia and Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

Ceasefire & Rafah Crossing Status

Phase Two Link:

Israeli radio cited an official source stating that Israel will not begin the second phase of the war cessation agreement until the complete return of the bodies of all deceased captives.

Rafah Border:

Separately, Israeli radio reported that the government has decided not to open the Rafah crossing until Hamas “intensifies the return of the bodies of Israeli captives.” This indicates a continued policy of using humanitarian access as leverage in the negotiation process.

Other Key Developments

Al-Aqsa Mosque: The Jerusalem Governorate reported that over 9,820 settlers stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound during last week’s Jewish holidays.

Prisoner Account: An Israeli soldier, Matan Engrest, recently released from captivity with Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades, stated that his captors granted his requests for Jewish prayer items, including tefillin, a prayer book (siddur), and a Torah scroll.

US Relations Concern:

Israeli radio reported that the Prime Minister’s Office is worried that passing a Knesset law aimed at strengthening the occupation of the West Bank could ignite a crisis with US President Donald Trump.

Gaza Attack:

Artillery shelling and live fire by Israeli forces were reported east of the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City.

Human Rights Watch:

Human Rights Watch called on Israel to completely lift its illegal blockade and facilitate reconstruction in Gaza and stressed the need for accountability for serious crimes committed in Gaza.

US MEDIA:

US President Donald Trump said that Washington wants Hamas to give up its weapons, adding that the movement has agreed to do so, and “if it doesn’t, we will take care of it ourselves.”

Trump stated that Hamas is searching for the bodies of the slain hostages, and that some of the bodies are located in tunnels.

He added that Hamas is already digging in search of the bodies, some of which have been buried for a long time, while others are under the rubble.

“There is no reason for the US army to intervene in Gaza,” Trump said.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTRY: Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that Israel will work in cooperation with the international force led by the United States to destroy tunnels in Gaza. He warned that if Hamas refuses to implement the agreement, Israel will return to fighting in coordination with Washington.

ISRAELI MEDIA: Israel’s Channel 15 quoted an unnamed security source as saying that the Al-Qassam Brigades had deceived the Israeli army during the war.

The source explained that the army had dropped Israeli communication chips to gather information about the captives, but the resistance collected and activated them shortly before the handover of captives, using them to make calls with the prisoners’ families.

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: Gaza’s Health Ministry says 90 Palestinian bodies returned by Israel show signs of torture, mutilation, and execution, as doctors struggle to identify the victims with limited forensic resources.

Handcuffed and Blindfolded: Bodies of 90 Palestinians Returned by Israel

AL-JAZEERA: Al-Jazeera’s correspondent reported that the Al-Qassam Brigades handed over the bodies of two Israeli captives — killed in Israeli airstrikes during the aggression on Gaza — to the Red Cross in Gaza City.

AL-JAZEERA: A senior Palestinian security official in Gaza said that security agencies launched a campaign immediately after the ceasefire to restore internal stability following Israel’s deliberate attempt to plunge the Strip into chaos and violence.

He explained that the security forces are acting responsibly to prevent any unrest that could endanger civilians, particularly after Israeli forces provided cover for criminal gangs that committed horrific crimes during the war.

CNN:

CNN quoted US President Donald Trump as saying that Israel could resume fighting in Gaza “with a word from me” if Hamas fails to comply with the ceasefire agreement.

Trump said he would consider allowing Netanyahu to resume military operations if Hamas refused to abide by the truce.

He added that freeing the hostages was crucial and claimed that Hamas is now “eliminating violent gangs.”

Trump said he was investigating reports that Hamas executed innocent Palestinians, adding, “There may be gangs.”

He also revealed that he had restrained Israel’s army and government, saying, “If Israel were capable of crushing Hamas, it would have already done so.”

AL-JAZEERA:The resistance security force Rada’a announced that it continues a comprehensive security campaign across all areas of the Gaza Strip.

The statement said the force is targeting individuals involved in collaboration with the Israeli occupation and those who conceal them.

It added: “The final opportunity to correct course and provide available information remains open. There will be no escape from the firm hand of justice that will reach every traitor and accomplice.”

MAJD SECURITY WEBSITE: A security official in the resistance told the Majd Security website that several collaborators had turned themselves in over the past hours and days. He confirmed that necessary procedures were taken to ensure their protection, adding: “Some steps remain to be completed with those who surrendered — we will protect and rehabilitate them. The door of repentance remains open for collaborators to return to their people.”

AL-QASSAM BRIGADES: The Al-Qassam Brigades announced that, as part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, they will hand over the bodies of two Israeli captives in Gaza this evening.

AL-JAZEERA: Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, said that large numbers of victims remain trapped under the rubble across Gaza’s governorates. He called for equipment, machinery, and support from friendly nations to recover the bodies, adding that “until this moment, no medical aid or equipment has reached Gaza’s hospitals.”

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: A leading source in the Palestinian Resistance confirmed on Wednesday that the body, which Israel claimed does not match any of its captives, is that of an Israeli soldier captured in an Al-Qassam Brigades operation in Jabaliya in May 2024.

Returned Captive’s Body is Israeli Soldier, Palestinian Resistance Source Says 

PALESTINE CHRONICLE: As US President Donald Trump declared this Tuesday, that Phase 2 of the ceasefire deal in Gaza is in effect, Israel was busy violating the deal before negotiations could even begin. As civilians continue to be killed by Israeli fire, American billionaires also eye seizing Gaza as a tax haven and casino playground, while also eying the continuation of Arab normalization deals.

Read the latest analysis by Robert Inlakesh.

US Threatens Hamas and Israel Violates the Gaza Ceasefire: Will It Soon Collapse?