Israel says it will reopen Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in both directions over the weekend. The move announced on Friday will allow Palestinians to enter and leave the territory after nearly two years of near-complete closure. The Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza said in a statement Friday that "limited movement of people only" would be allowed. The reopening of the Rafah crossing on Sunday will mark an important step forward for U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan. The crossing is Gaza's main gateway to the outside world. It has been largely closed since May 2024.
By WAFAA SHURAFA and TOQA EZZIDIN Associated Press
A Gaza Health Ministry official says Israel has turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage. The transfer on Thursday marks the last hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas. The return of all remaining hostages living or dead had been a key part of the first phase in the ceasefire that paused the war in October. A spokesperson at Gaza's health ministry says the bodies handed over Thursday were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. It comes after Israel announced Monday it found and identified the remains of the last Israeli hostage at a cemetery in northern Gaza.
By SAM METZ, WAFAA SHURAFA, SAMY MAGDY and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
Israel is marking the end of a painful chapter after the return of the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Across the country, people removed yellow pins from their lapels and marked what many described as the fulfillment of a pledge to "bring them all home." The return of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, followed days of forensic work in northern Gaza, where teams combed a cemetery to locate, exhume and identify his remains, drawing on search units, intelligence officers and forensic dentists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will reopen Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in both directions, but he did not say when.
Israel says the remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered, clearing the way for the next phase of the ceasefire that stopped the Israel-Hamas war. Monday's announcement came a day after Israel's government said the military was conducting a "large-scale operation" in a cemetery in northern Gaza to locate the remains of Ran Gvili. The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, has been a key part of the Gaza ceasefire's first phase. Gvili's family had urged Israel's government not to enter the second phase until his remains were recovered and returned. Hamas says it now has committed to all terms of the ceasefire's first phase.
Israeli strikes in central Gaza have killed eight people, including three women, following the U.S. announcement of a second phase in the fragile ceasefire. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the ceasefire largely symbolic, questioning its implementation. The announcement marked progress but left many questions unanswered, including the composition of a proposed Palestinian governing committee and the deployment of international forces. Palestinians in Gaza expressed skepticism about changes on the ground, citing ongoing violence and hardships. The second phase of the ceasefire faces challenges, including disarming Hamas and transitioning governance. Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost over $50 billion.
The United States says it's moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan involving disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that will administer daily affairs. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff says on social media the ceasefire the Republican president helped broker was entering its second phase following two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Witkoff didn't offer any details Wednesday about a new transitional Palestinian administration that would govern Gaza. But other mediators Egypt, Turkey and Qatar said the committee to administer Gaza would be led by a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.
Health officials say at least 13 people were killed by Israeli strikes across Gaza as U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce his Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire. Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following several strikes there as well as east of Gaza City. Officials say next week Trump is expected to announce the Board of Peace which he has said he will head. The board would mark an important step forward for Trump's Mideast peace plan, which has moved slowly since delivering a ceasefire in October ending more than two years of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
By JOSEF FEDERMAN and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press
Israel's prime minister says a former U.N. Mideast envoy, Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, has been chosen to serve as the director-general for U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace aimed at overseeing the peace process in Gaza. The appointment marks an important step forward for Trump's Mideast peace plan, which has moved slowly since an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement Thursday after meeting Mladenov in Jerusalem. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been officially announced, confirmed the selection.
