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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-16 at 00:05
HEADLINES
Two More Hostage Remains Delivered, 19 Missing
US-Backed Multinational Force Aims Gaza Stabilization
Netanyahu Approval Soars, Likud Seeks 35 Seats
The time is now 8:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good evening. Here is the latest from the Middle East and the surrounding diplomacy shaping the region tonight.
Israel and Hamas have moved into the next phase of the ceasefire, with the exchange that began last week continuing to yield tangible signs of implementation. Hamas has handed over the remains of two more hostages to Israeli authorities, delivered by the Red Cross from Gaza City and transferred to Israeli troops outside the Gaza Strip for inspection. Officials say the two caskets are being examined at the Abu Kabir forensic institute in Tel Aviv, where identification and cause-of-death determinations could take up to two days. If these remains are confirmed as hostages, Israel would be left with the remains of 19 people still considered missing. In parallel, Hamas has said it has returned all deceased captives it could reach, continuing to maintain that any bodies not recovered require special equipment and cooperation to locate.
The live hostages who were freed during the first stage of the 20-point plan have returned to Israel and are reported to be in stable physical condition, though the full medical and psychological assessment will unfold in the days ahead. For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his security team, the priority remains ensuring the ceasefire endures and guaranteeing that any revival of hostilities would be met with a robust response. Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned that if Hamas does not honor the accord, Israel, with American support, stands ready to resume fighting and pursue the group to change the situation in Gaza. US officials have stressed they are not pausing their efforts to recover every remaining hostage, saying publicly that no one will be left behind and that a mechanism is in place to locate and retrieve remaining bodies as quickly as possible, a process acknowledged to be slow given the scale of destruction in Gaza.
International diplomacy continues to center on the question of Gaza’s stability. In Washington, senior US advisers say planning is underway for a multinational stabilization force to help anchor the ceasefire, with discussions already including Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, and with Indonesia among other potential contributors. The aim, as described by US officials, is to reduce violence, facilitate humanitarian aid, and support reconstruction while keeping Hamas disarmed and under pressure to comply with the ceasefire terms. The effort reflects a broader US strategy laid out in recent weeks, blending security guarantees with humanitarian relief and regional diplomacy. Turkey has signaled willingness to participate in some capacity, though historical tensions with Israel and current geopolitical frictions could complicate cooperation. In related discussions, allies have emphasized that any international force would operate under clear rules of engagement and in coordination with Israeli and Palestinian authorities to minimize risk to civilians.
The regional landscape remains dynamic beyond the Gaza corridor. Tunisian groups have launched a campaign to criminalize normalization with Israel, arguing that normalization harms Palestinians and criticizes Western states and official Arab regimes that they say legitimize the occupation. The development underscores ongoing regional tensions around the peace process and the evolving stance of governments and civil society toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Back in Israel, public sentiment is divided. A new poll indicates Prime Minister Netanyahu’s approval ratings have reached an all-time high, with the Likud projected to secure around 35 seats—sl
Published on 3 weeks ago