Israel has returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians, following Hamas' return of the remains of an Israeli hostage. This exchange is part of the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Meanwhile, Turkish, Qatari, and Egyptian mediators met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the next steps. The next phases of the truce include deploying an armed International Stabilization Force and developing an international body to govern Gaza. But violence continued in Gaza as well as in the West Bank, where Israel said it was conducting a "broad counterterrorism operation" on Wednesday.

The Gaza Health Ministry says the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 63,000 as Palestinians face the start of Israel's expanded offensive in Gaza City. The count does not distinguish between fighters and civilians killed in the 22-month war between Israel and Hamas. The ministry says five people have died from malnutrition-related causes over the past day, raising the toll to 322, including 121 children, since the war began. A military official says Israel intends to continue helping aid reach Gaza City during the offensive, but a U.N. humanitarian group fears "a horrific impact" on people already deprived of basic needs.

The Israeli military has acknowledged a string of errors in its response to the deadly Hamas attacks last Oct. 7, including slow response times and disorganization. The admission came Thursday as the military released the results of its first investigation into failures during the assault that triggered the war in Gaza. The report focused on the border community of Be'eri, where over 100 people were killed and more than 30 others taken hostage by Hamas. It was among the hardest-hit communities in the early morning attack. It was also the scene of one of the highest-profile confrontations of Oct. 7 — a standoff in which militants held a group of hostages inside a home.