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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-26 at 01:05
HEADLINES
Shin Bet chief appointed amid security questions
Hamas to search new areas for bodies
Global coalition eyes Gaza demilitarization and peacekeeping
The time is now 9:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good evening. At the center of Israel’s security conversations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Major-General (ret.) David Zini as the new head of the Shin Bet, praising his leadership and reaffirming Israel’s independent security policy despite questions raised about the appointment. The change in the leadership of Israel’s domestic intelligence service comes as the country seeks to balance vigilance against threats with ongoing efforts to manage a fragile ceasefire in Gaza and a broader regional security environment.
From the Gaza front, Hamas deputy chief Khalil al-Hayya told the Al-Jazeera network that the group will enter new areas on Sunday to search for bodies, signaling a continued emphasis on the status of hostages and remains even as the ceasefire framework holds for now. The Hamas statement follows a period in which the organization has released fifteen bodies of deceased hostages along with twenty surviving captives; thirteen bodies remain unaccounted for and the search to locate them continues under a joint security and diplomatic effort.
In Washington, President Donald Trump said Hamas must begin returning the bodies of the deceased hostages quickly and cautioned that he would be watching the situation “very closely” over the next forty-eight hours. The remarks came as he met with Qatar’s emir and prime minister aboard Air Force One, with Qatar identified as a key mediator in the Gaza truce. Trump also indicated that Qatar could contribute troops to a multinational stabilization force in Gaza if needed, and he noted that delegations from a broad coalition of nations—somewhere in the vicinity of fifty-nine countries—are involved in efforts to stabilize the region. The president attributed a measure of progress in the Middle East to the broader strategic shift rooted in last year’s regional dynamics.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who accompanied Trump on the trip, said that all of Gaza should be demilitarized and rejected the notion of a long-term division of the territory. He described demilitarization as central to the objective of reducing terrorism and indicated that the envisioned arrangement would look increasingly like a green zone, with the Yellow Line representing the boundary between the Israeli and Hamas-controlled areas. Rubio stressed that the Israelis have made clear they do not seek to occupy Gaza, and he framed the demilitarization as a step toward long-term stability.
The broader coalition backing the deal includes Egypt, the United States, Qatar, and Turkey, with discussions advancing on the logistics of a peacekeeping force for Gaza. In recent days, Gulf and regional leaders have been coordinating to identify leadership for the stabilization effort and to determine the path forward for the security arrangements that underpin the ceasefire.
Back in Israel, the security conversation has also focused on dismantling Hamas’ infrastructure inside the Yellow Zone along Gaza’s perimeters. The minister overseeing security said that demolishing the terror tunnels in these areas is proceeding in full cooperation with United States counterparts and that the operation remains a high priority as part of the ongoing effort to reduce Hamas’ ability to threaten Israeli towns and cities.
On the home front, families who have endured years of captivity and days of uncertainty remain at the center of the national conversation. Among them, relatives of hostages and some who have endured earlier trauma have urged that every effort be made to bring the remaining captives home. In parallel, a mother whose child was among those held sp
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