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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-16 at 10:07
HEADLINES
- Hamas must disarm or Israel fights again
- Rafah opens for pedestrians; aid rerouted
- US refugee plan trims admissions amid fears
The time is now 6:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. This is the 6:00 AM update on the evolving Middle East and related developments around the world.
Israel and Hamas remain in the foreground of regional scrutiny. A senior Israeli official, Amichai Chikli, warned that Hamas must disarm or Israel will have to return to fighting, a statement issued after it was confirmed that Hamas handed over a body that was not the body of an Israeli hostage. The exchange comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government says the ceasefire conditions are being tested by delays in recovering the remains of hostages held by Hamas and by the group’s insistence on its terms.
Meanwhile, Israel said preparations to open the Rafah crossing with Egypt are underway, with the date to be announced later. The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories said the crossing would be opened for pedestrian movement and that aid into Gaza would be restricted and routed through other crossings. The plan comes with a warning that Hamas’s slow return of hostage remains is a violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended two years of war and that living hostages were freed, in part, under that framework.
On the hostage issue, an Israeli source told Kan News that Hamas could hand over a double-digit number of the remains of deceased hostages, but that the group has not made sufficient efforts to do so. In parallel, families of those released have spoken publicly about the emotional toll and the importance of continuing to press for full compliance with the ceasefire terms. One family described a sense of relief at the moment of release, while urging national unity and continued vigilance.
Two years after the October 7 attacks, Israeli families still mourn and sometimes wait to bury loved ones whose remains Hamas is believed to hold. The broader narrative of families waiting to lay their loved ones to rest continues to shape political and security calculations on both sides of the conflict.
Tributes to individual acts of courage also circulate. A compelling account from a member of the Nir Oz reserve force recounts the hours after the 6:45 a.m. alert when a small unit went out to confront attackers, with one member’s last message to his wife “I love you” before his death. His story, and those of others, have become touchstones in discussions about resilience and the price of security in border communities.
On the humanitarian and diplomatic front, a former mediator, Bashar al-Bahab, said he had spoken with Hamas and received a message that the organization is “100 percent willing” to return all the hostage remains, but logistical challenges impede access to some bodies. Bahab noted that Hamas said debris-clearing would be required in several sites, including a seven-story building that was destroyed. He also highlighted a Turkish rescue delegation of 81 personnel with experience in debris removal, expected to enter Gaza to assist in locating remains of both Israeli and Palestinian captives. Reports from Kan and Here 11 relay similar themes about logistics and the fragile state of arrangements under the ceasefire monitoring framework.
International reporting continues to emphasize how the hostage and remains issue intersects with negotiations over movement, aid, and reconstruction. In other developments, the Times of Israel reported that Israel is preparing to reopen Rafah for people, with a formal date to be set after joint preparations with Egypt, reiterating that humanitarian aid will not pass through Rafah. Israel had signaled it might keep Rafah closed if Hamas fails to comply with obligations related to the return of hostag
Published on 2 weeks, 6 days ago