Overview
- Israeli authorities say all captives, living or deceased, have now been returned, as thousands attended Gvili’s funeral in Meitar with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog present.
- An intensive IDF forensic search in northern Gaza examined roughly 250 bodies with support from more than 20 military dentists, and Shin Bet cited an interrogation of an Islamic Jihad member as an intelligence breakthrough.
- Officials say the Rafah crossing is expected to reopen for pedestrian traffic in the next days pending government approval, with Israeli inspections planned and no cargo allowed, leaving timelines and eligibility still unclear.
- Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad dispute Israel’s account of the discovery, each saying they supplied information through mediators to help locate the remains, a claim Israeli officials have not confirmed.
- Attention now turns to contentious phase‑two issues, including Gaza’s demilitarization, governance handover via a Palestinian technocratic committee, and humanitarian access for medical evacuations and eventual reconstruction.