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Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2025-10-28 at 12:07
HEADLINES
Remains transfer for Ofir Tzarfati violates ceasefire
Israel weighs stern response as ceasefire frays
Jenin area air strike hits militant cell
The time is now 8:01 AM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.
Good morning. This is the 8:00 a.m. news update focused on the evolving security situation in the Middle East, with emphasis on Israel’s procedures, the hostage issue, and the wider regional context shaping international responses.
The day centers on the ongoing fallout from Hamas’s handling of remains and hostages under the Gaza ceasefire framework. Israeli officials confirm that the partial remains handed over by Hamas on Monday night belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage seized at the Nova music festival in October 2023 and later identified as deceased. Internal briefings indicate that Tzarfati’s body had already been recovered by the IDF in December 2023 and subsequently brought home for burial. The latest transfer does not include the body of any of the 13 hostages still believed to be in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities.
Tzarfati’s family has publicly condemned the move, releasing footage they say shows the remains being unearthed and then handed to the Red Cross as part of a staged “discovery.” They described the sequence as a manipulation intended to undermine the broader deal and to abandon the goal of returning all hostages. The Prime Minister’s Office characterized the transfer as a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement, and Prime Minister Netanyahu scheduled an urgent security review with senior defense officials to determine a measured response.
Across the political spectrum, voices are weighing how to respond. Some far-right ministers and security voices have argued for a strong, even punitive stance against Hamas, including calls to dismantle the group if it continues to violate the terms of the ceasefire. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum pressed for a decisive government response and for steps that would advance the return of every captive and the remains of the deceased.
Israeli policy and strategy officials emphasize that any action will be calibrated to preserve the longer-term objective: ensuring the safety of Israeli civilians, stabilizing the ceasefire framework, and advancing the conditions that would allow for a broader settlement. At the same time, Washington and other partners continue to monitor developments closely, underscoring the desire to move forward with a structured Gaza plan while avoiding actions that could fracture the delicate balance of the current arrangements.
In the broader regional frame, the situation in Gaza remains the focal point of strategic calculations in Washington and Jerusalem. Israel says Hamas’s latest move undercuts the ceasefire and complicates the return process for the remaining hostages’ bodies. The US position remains supportive of the ceasefire mechanism, with expectations that any response by Israel will be coordinated with security partners and tailored to deter future violations while preserving the framework needed to bring home all hostages and finalize the postwar governance of Gaza.
On the security front, Israeli forces in the West Bank conducted an air operation this morning targeting a cell of militants believed to be sheltering in a cave in the Jenin area, near the village of Kod. Palestinian sources report two strikes against a group of three militants, with claims that the militants’ bodies are being held by the IDF. The operation illustrates ongoing friction and risk in areas adjacent to Gaza as security forces address potential attack cells and prevent renewed violence.
Israel’s command decisions come as the defense establishment remains focused on dismantling and neutralizing threats in Gaza, including an emphasis on tunnel networks identified as critical to future o
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