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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-18 at 00:08
HEADLINES
- Ceasefire Holds as Hostages Remain Unreturned
- Flag-Draped Remains Delivered, ID Delays
- US Envoy Drives Gaza Stabilization and Reconstruction
The time is now 8:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
The ceasefire in Gaza has held for another day, even as the work of turning a war into a lasting settlement marches forward with delicate negotiations, painful reminders of the human cost, and a flurry of international diplomacy. On the ground, the mood among Israeli security forces remains disciplined and focused on implementing the terms of the agreement, even as questions linger about when all hostages and the deceased will be accounted for and returned home.
In the latest chapter of the hostage issue, Israeli authorities received the remains of an apparent hostage from Hamas yesterday. The casket was draped with an Israeli flag in a ceremony led by a military rabbi before the body was moved for formal identification. Officials caution that identification may take up to two days, and Hamas has not identified the individual. The Israeli Defense Forces say the exchange underscores the urgency of meeting the ceasefire’s provisions, particularly the return of all hostages and the deceased, but acknowledge that a number of bodies still lie in Gaza—figures circulating in Jerusalem and among mediators point to several of the remaining dead as a focus of the first-phase handovers. The situation remains highly contingent on the ability of mediators to verify locations and the fidelity with which all sides observe the agreement.
Beyond the remains, the broader issue of hostages and their bodies remains a flashpoint between the parties. Hamas has stressed that it will return those bodies it can locate and has urged mediators to monitor the process. Israeli officials, while noting progress, have warned that the pace of returns will determine, in part, how quickly confidence is restored across the border. Complicating matters is the fact that some Israeli captives who were moved into Gaza may have been dressed in local clothing to blend with the surroundings, a detail that has slowed the identification effort and raised concerns about the accuracy of recovery operations.
On the diplomatic front, mediation continues to focus on two intertwined tasks: cementing a sustainable ceasefire and laying the groundwork for reconstruction and stabilization in areas outside Hamas’ direct control, particularly Rafah. A key element of that effort is the international stabilization force and the reconstruction framework, aims advanced by mediators to prevent a relapse into fighting and to help restore essential services to Gazan civilians. In parallel, a US special envoy is expected to travel to the region to follow up on the first phase of the agreement and press ahead with the creation of the stabilization mechanism, while also coordinating with regional partners to address humanitarian needs and governance questions in the Gaza Strip.
Turkish disaster responders, an 81-member team from AFAD with life-detection gear and trained search dogs, remain at the Egyptian border awaiting Israeli authorization to enter Gaza. The mission is intended to locate both Palestinian and Israeli bodies believed buried under rubble, although the process faces logistical and security hurdles. Israeli authorities have not yet granted entry, and observers note that the wait may affect the overall timeline for locating additional remains, which is a sensitive and methodical operation given the volatile terrain and the destruction wrought by fighting. There is broad concern among observers that heavy equipment could be misused if access is permitted amid ongoing hostilities, underscoring the need for careful coordination with Israeli authorities and Hamas to ensure safety and data sharing.
In Gaza itself, troops have continu
Published on 2 weeks, 5 days ago