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.
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Two Iranian-backed militias in the Middle East are signaling their readiness to launch new attacks. The move seems to support Iran, which is concerned as a U.S. aircraft carrier has reached the region. On Monday, Yemen's Houthi rebels hinted at resuming attacks on Red Sea shipping. Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah also issued a threat on Sunday, warning of "total war" if Iran is targeted. The threats come as the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the region amidst Trump's threats to attack. The UAE announced it would not allow its territory to be used for military action against Iran, emphasizing dialogue and diplomacy.
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.
Israel says the remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered.
Israel says its military is conducting a large-scale operation to locate the last hostage in Gaza. This comes as Washington and other mediators pressure Israel and Hamas to move into the next phase of their ceasefire. On Sunday, Israel’s Cabinet was meeting to discuss opening Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Returning the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been seen as removing the main obstacle to this move. The ceasefire's first phase, which began on Oct. 10, includes the return of all remaining hostages. Israel accuses Hamas of delaying the recovery of Gvili's remains, while Hamas claims it has provided all available information.
Top U.S. envoys have met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to advance the ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting included U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Middle East adviser Jared Kushner. Details were not disclosed. The U.S. wants the Trump-brokered ceasefire deal to progress, but Netanyahu faces pressure to wait for Hamas to return the remains of a final hostage. The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is a key signal of the second phase. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike killed two Palestinian teens in Gaza. The ceasefire began on Oct. 10.
AP Wire
President Donald Trump launched his Board of Peace on Thursday to lead efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Gaza. But it’s not clear yet how many leaders will join him on that board. There were officials from 19 other countries at his announcement in Davos, Switzerland. “We're going to have, I think, over 50,” Trump told reporters. Later, flying back from his trip to the World Economic Forum, Trump said “almost 30” leaders were on board. He said some leaders are waiting on approval from their parliaments, naming Italy and Poland as examples. Trump said he’ll have the right to be chairman of the board for life, if he so chooses — but said he’s not sure he wants that.
Vice President JD Vance says the Insurrection Act won’t be needed “right now” in Minneapolis after meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the city, which has emerged as a national focal point in the clash over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The comment on Thursday seemed to echo a similar retreat by President Donald Trump, who had threatened to invoke the rarely used federal law to quell persistent protests against federal agents in Minneapolis before telling reporters a week ago that there wasn’t a reason to use the act “right now.”
Desperate Palestinians at a garbage dump in a Gaza neighborhood are digging with their bare hands for plastic items to burn to keep warm in the cold and damp winter in the enclave, battered by two years of the Israel-Hamas war. The scene in the Muwasi area of the city of Khan Younis contrasted starkly with the vision of the territory projected by world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, where they inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace that will oversee Gaza on Thursday. Trump claimed in Davos this week that “record levels” of humanitarian aid had entered Gaza since the October start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. His envoys touted the enclave's development potential.
U.S. President Donald Trump used the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to unveil a proposed "Board of Peace" for Gaza. He brought leaders from over a dozen countries onstage Thursday, although many key U.S. allies aren't participating in the board. Israel has killed more than 470 people in Gaza since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire started in October. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized European allies for their slow response to Russia's invasion, comparing it to the movie "Groundhog Day." Attention now shifts to the United Arab Emirates, where trilateral meetings involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia are set to begin.