Israel says it will ‘spare no effort’ to secure the return of deceased captives

Israel says it expects Hamas to return the bodies of the remaining captives, as only seven of an expected 28 have so far been returned.

“Hamas … is required to uphold its commitments to the mediators and return all of our hostages as part of the implementation of this agreement,” a spokesperson said in a news conference.

“We will not compromise on this, and we will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return, every last one of them,” she added.

‘Extremely difficult’: Gaza’s rubble complicates return of captives’ bodies

The issue of returning the bodies of the captives has already been resolved between the mediators. Israel knew and admitted that retrieving the bodies would be very difficult, that it could take weeks and maybe even months to get to those bodies.

That is because Israel has decimated the Gaza Strip. There are 55 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza and the Israeli army remains in more than half of the territory.

So for Hamas to be able to move freely, to search for the bodies and to retrieve them is logistically extremely difficult and may not be possible for all the captives, and that is exactly why in the ceasefire agreement, a timeline was not included for the return of the bodies.

Gaza ceasefire: ‘This can fall apart very quickly’

The Gaza truce is extremely fragile, and the slow delivery of the bodies of Israeli captives back to Israel threatens to derail it, an analyst says.

“[Israelis] are convinced that Hamas is playing games and wants to hold onto the bodies for future leverage, which suggests the second big problem – that Hamas believes it has a future in Gaza,” said Dan Perry, author and publisher of Ask Questions Later, from Tel Aviv.

He noted President Trump’s 20-point plan stipulates Hamas will have no role in governing the Palestinian enclave once the war is over and the group must disarm.

“It’s quite clear that Hamas is not adhering to any of that. This is the main issue, this is a bedrock Israeli demand,” Perry told Al Jazeera. “The mediators – Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt – must step in and ensure that Hamas has really accepted the 20-point plan, otherwise this can fall apart very quickly.”

Released Palestinian detainee hospitalised in Gaza

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that Dr Mohammed Asaliya, who was released from Israeli detention on Monday, has been hospitalised at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

He was suffering from convulsions and chest pain, reportedly due to the abuses he endured in Israeli jails.

Israeli tank fire reported in northern Gaza

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that Israeli tanks have opened fire in Gaza City.

Israeli tanks open fire in southern Gaza

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that Israeli tanks fired at Palestinians in the town of Bani Suheila and the Sheikh Nasser neighbourhood, east of Khan Younis.

Israeli forces arrest 15 people northeast of Rafah

Israeli forces have arrested 15 people in the town of Nassr, northeast of Rafah in southern Gaza, our correspondent on the ground reports.

This comes two days after Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, the majority of whom were arrested in Gaza.

Two Palestinians killed in Israeli assault on Gaza City: Hospital

A medical source at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza says two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli attack on the Shujayea neighbourhood.

One Palestinian killed in Israeli attack on southern Gaza: Hospital

According to sources at Nasser Medical Complex, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire east of Khan Younis.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed at least nine people across the coastal enclave despite an ongoing ceasefire.

Bodies of dozens of Palestinians received from Israel: Red Cross

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that the Red Cross has received the bodies of dozens of Palestinians and has transported them to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian bodies returned by Israel blindfolded, signs of possible ‘field executions’

Some of the Palestinians’ bodies handed over by Israeli forces on Tuesday were blindfolded and handcuffed, medical sources tell Al Jazeera.

According to these sources, there are signs that several individuals may have been subjected to “field executions”.

Additionally, tank tracks were found on the bodies, suggesting that some may have been run over by Israeli vehicles.

Israel releases 45 more bodies of imprisoned Palestinians

Israel has handed over the bodies of 45 more Palestinians through the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number returned to 90, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Medical teams are continuing to examine, document, and prepare the bodies for delivery to families “in line with approved medical procedures and protocols”, it said.

Some of the Palestinian bodies handed over by Israeli forces on Tuesday were blindfolded and handcuffed, indicating “field executions” may have taken place, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Gaza’s death toll rises to 67,938 as more bodies recovered: Health Ministry

The bodies of 25 people, including 16 recovered from the enclave and one person who died from their wounds, have arrived at Gaza’s hospitals in the past 24 hours, along with 35 wounded people, the enclave’s Health Ministry says.

Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 67,938 people and wounded 170,169 across the enclave.

The ministry’s daily statistical report on Telegram noted that a number of victims remain under the rubble as ambulance and Civil Defence teams are still unable to reach them.

Israeli forces arrest 4 across Bethlehem governorate

Palestine’s Wafa news agency, quoting security sources, reports that soldiers conducted the arrests after raiding and searching their families’ homes.

Those arrested include Mustafa Musa Nawawra, who was taken from the Jabal al-Mawaleh area; Muhammad Raed Zawahra from al-Karkafa; Raed Abdul Karim al-Madbouh from the Caritas area; and Zakaria Jamal Awida from Hindazah, in the east of the city.

The sources added that troops raided many homes in various areas of the governorate without any further arrests being reported.

Israeli arson, bulldozers and forced labour in the West Bank’s Tulkarem

Occupied West Bank, Palestine – Close to Tulkarem, on the outskirts of the Nur Shams refugee camp, grey apartment blocks sit empty. Abandoned cars are strewn amid rubble where homes once stood. Shops are silent, streaked black where flames licked against the windows.

Amid escalating violence by settlers from illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has intensified its efforts to forcibly displace the tens of thousands of Palestinians who live in the Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps.

An unprecedented ground assault, replete with bulldozers, arson, and sniper fire, has made life impossible for the people there, most of whom have been pushed out to shelters or other villages.

Spanish unions stage general strike in solidarity with Gaza


<sub>People hold a banner reading ‘Against genocidal imperialism, Free Palestine’ as they demonstrate during a general strike called by Spanish unions in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Barcelona, Spain, October 15


Students take part in the protest days after Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in the coastal enclave</sub>

DRM News delivers live coverage from Madrid as Spanish unions launch a general strike on October 15, protesting outside the Foreign Affairs Ministry in solidarity with Gaza. Demands include cutting diplomatic and military ties with Israel amid ongoing Palestinian crisis. Watch now for real-time updates, interviews, and analysis. Subscribe for global activism news.

‘Further setbacks’: UN urges full implementation of Gaza ceasefire

United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher has urged all parties to fully implement the Gaza ceasefire deal, asserting that “Palestinians, Israelis and people across the region want this peace to take hold”.

“Earlier this week, we were able to kick off our humanitarian scale-up after months of frustration and blockages. Food, medicine, fuel, water, cooking gas and tents got through to those who need them,” he said in a statement posted on X.

However, Fletcher noted that on Tuesday, the organisation faced “further setbacks to the implementation”.

“We are now tested to see whether we can ensure that these do not prevent the progress on which President Trump, the UN Secretary-General and so many leaders have insisted,” he asserted.

Israel notified the United Nations on Tuesday that it will only allow 300 aid trucks – half of the number it originally agreed to – daily into the Gaza Strip from Wednesday.

Fletcher called on Israel, as it had agreed, to allow the “massive surge” of humanitarian aid, some thousands of trucks a week.

“We need more crossings open and a genuine, practical, problem-solving approach to removing remaining obstacles,” the UN aid chief added.

Israel's forced starvation campaign against Palestinians in Gaza means that people often face extremely crowded conditions trying to access what little food is available. 10-year-old Ahmed suffered burns from hot lentils at a takiya, and he misses fresh fruits and vegetables. pic.twitter.com/7hlGdklLtU

— Defense for Children (@DCIPalestine) October 15, 2025

Gaza ceasefire is a ‘facade’ and war may return ‘perhaps even worse’

Lorenzo Kamel, a professor of international history at Italy’s University of Turin, highlighted a grim anniversary 77 years ago when Israeli forces began pushing out more than 100,000 Palestinians from the Negev Desert and into Gaza – doubling the number of refugees in the territory.

Operation Yoav began on October 15, 1948, and lasted for seven days. “This changed the demographic balance in Gaza for good,” Kamel told Al Jazeera.

On the current US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Kamel described it as a “facade” with the main players only really agreeing on the captive-prisoner exchange.

“The main actors are there to enable the war to turn the page, but then we know the structural violence will remain there precisely as it was – and perhaps even worse,” he said.

US CENTCOM chief calls on Hamas to ‘suspend’ violence, embrace peace

US Admiral Brad Cooper has urged Hamas to “immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza”, both in Hamas-controlled areas and behind the so-called yellow line where Israeli troops are stationed.

In a statement posted on X, Cooper said that this was a “historic opportunity for peace” as the ceasefire went into effect last week.

“Hamas should seize it by fully standing down, strictly adhering to President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and disarming without delay,” Cooper said.

“We have conveyed our concerns to the mediators who agreed to work with us to enforce the peace and protect innocent Gaza civilians. We remain highly optimistic for the future of peace in the region,” he added.

Israeli defence minister issues warning as troops fire on Palestinians

Israel Katz has issued what appears to be a warning to Palestinians attempting to return to their homes, saying that “any violation” of the Israeli military’s withdrawal line “will be met with an immediate response”.

Katz wrote on X that Israeli forces are acting “in accordance with the instructions” and enforcing “a clear policy of preparedness along the Yellow Line – which includes more than 50 percent of the territory of Gaza”.

He added, “Yesterday, terrorists who tried to approach and cross were thwarted – and this will continue to be the case in the future”.

The comments come as Palestinians attempting to return to their homes in Gaza have been shot and killed by Israeli troops despite the ceasefire.


The US is fully backing Israel breaking the ceasefire, it's a cruel joke this peace plan.

UN agency says Israeli forces ‘continue to kill civilians’ in Gaza

The United Nations has accused the Israeli military of war crimes with non-combatants still being killed in Gaza despite the ceasefire that came into effect five days ago.

The Israeli army “continues to kill civilians” in areas where it has redeployed since the ceasefire took hold, with at least 15 Palestinians shot and killed since October 10, said the UN Human Rights Office-Palestine.

“Targeting civilians not directly participating in hostilities constitutes a war crime regardless of the location of the incident and its proximity to agreed deployment line,” it said.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office-Palestine, said it’s vital that the truce leads to both lasting peace and respect for Palestinians’ rights.

“It’s imperative to ensure that the ceasefire holds and progresses to recovery and the full realisation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” Sunghay said.

[1\3]#Gaza: Clashes have intensified between Hamas and affiliated armed groups and rival groups and families, with reports of extrajudicial executions.
Ø Restoring public order is an urgent priority, but it must comply with international law’s strict limits on the use of lethal…

— UN Human Rights Palestine (@OHCHR_Palestine) October 15, 2025

Hospital official: Some bodies show ‘signs of torture and executions’

Earlier, we reported that Israel handed over the bodies of another 45 Palestinian prisoners to the Red Cross. A forensics team that received the bodies in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.

Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Nasser Hospital, said others arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. “There are signs of torture and executions,” he said.

The bodies belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one who had a rope around the neck. Most of the bodies wore civilian clothing, but some were in uniforms, suggesting they were Palestinian fighters.

Hamad said the Red Cross provided names for only three of the dead, leaving many families uncertain of their relatives’ fate.

_{Morgue workers unload the bodies of Palestinians who had been in Israeli custody in Khan Younis}

Israeli army control leaves Gaza’s starving north completely isolated

The situation remains extremely difficult, particularly in Gaza City and in parts of the south where people have tried to return. Large areas of Gaza City and the north remain under firm control of the Israeli military.

Armoured vehicles and tanks are still stationed in the eastern parts of the city, preventing many residents from going back to their homes.

Meanwhile, no aid is reaching Gaza City, not even from the 300 trucks that were promised entry. Major roads have been destroyed or blocked by rubble from collapsed buildings, especially high-rises, cutting off key access routes in and out of the city.

A significant amount of aid is urgently needed, particularly medical supplies. Hospitals in Gaza City lack even the most basic necessities: simple painkillers and anaesthetics are unavailable, and access to clean water remains severely limited.


_{Palestinians return to what’s left of their homes and search for drinking water in Gaza City}

Bodies of 14 slain Palestinians brought to Gaza hospitals today

Medical sources tell our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic that the bodies were brought to Gaza hospitals since dawn today.

Three of the Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on the enclave today while eight were recovered from previous Israeli attacks, sources said. The last three bodies belong to Palestinians who succumbed to earlier injuries.

UN hopes aid to Gaza will increase ‘at better pace’

UN chief Antonio Guterres’s spokesperson says the United Nations has faced difficulties this week in picking up aid to bring into the Gaza Strip.

“We are in, I would say, increased discussions with [Israeli government agency] COGAT and look forward on just having a system that allows for more aid to flow through more crossings,” Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a briefing in New York City.

“Everyone is still trying to adapt to the new realities on the ground – the new positive realities, given that we have a ceasefire, and we just hope that things can move forward at a better pace.”

Dujarric said there remains “quite a bit of confusion”, but that the UN hopes all parties will work together “in the same spirit”.


_{Many families are still living in tents because their homes have been reduced to rubble}