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Arab World

Israel Hands over Bodies of 45 Palestinians After Hamas Returned the Remains of 3 Soldiers 

Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of three people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP)
Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of three people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Hands over Bodies of 45 Palestinians After Hamas Returned the Remains of 3 Soldiers 

Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of three people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP)
Red Cross vehicles carrying the bodies of three people believed to be deceased hostages handed over by Hamas make their way toward the border crossing with Israel, to be transferred to Israeli authorities, in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP)

Israel on Monday handed over the bodies of 45 Palestinians, health officials in Gaza said, a day after Hamas returned the remains of three hostages. Israeli officials identified the three as soldiers who were killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the war. 

The exchange marked another step forward for the tenuous, US-brokered ceasefire in the two-year war — the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas group. 

Since the truce took effect on Oct. 10, Palestinian fighters have released the remains of 20 hostages, with eight now still remaining in Gaza. 

For each hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the remains of 15 Palestinians. Monday's return brought the number of Palestinian bodies handed back since the ceasefire began to 270. 

Slow identification process in Gaza 

Zaher al-Wahidi, a spokesperson at the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that the 45 released bodies of Palestinians were received at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza around noon. 

Only about 75 of all the returned bodies have so far been identified, the ministry said. Forensic work is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza, it added. The ministry posts photos of the remains online, in the hope that families will recognize them. 

Meanwhile, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu identified the three hostages returned to Israel on Sunday night as Capt. Omer Neutra, an American-Israeli, Staff Sgt. Oz Daniel and Col. Assaf Hamami. A Hamas statement earlier said their remains were found on Sunday in a tunnel in southern Gaza. 

Neutra, an American-Israeli, was 21 when Hamas fighters abducted him and the rest of his tank crew on Oct. 7, 2023. In December 2024, the military announced Neutra had been killed in the attack that started the war. 

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he had spoken with Neutra's family, describing their relief and heartbreak. “They were thrilled, in one sense, but in another sense, obviously, it’s not too great,” Trump said. 

Daniel, a 19-year-old staff sergeant, was pulled by gunmen from his tank and taken into Gaza, along with three others of his crew. He is survived by his parents and twin sister. The remains of the others were returned earlier. 

Hamami, commander of Israel’s southern brigade in the Gaza division, died early on Oct. 7, 2023, in fighting to defend Kibbutz Nirim. Hamami and two of his soldiers were killed and their bodies were taken to Gaza. Hamami is survived by his wife and three children. 

Militants have released one or two bodies every few days. Israel has urged for faster progress, and in certain cases it has said the remains were not those of any hostage. Hamas has said the work is complicated by widespread devastation. 

Arrests of 2 ex-military figures rocks Israel 

Since Sunday, a political scandal has rocked Israel involving the military's former legal chief, Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi. A military official said she was arrested overnight after she has admitted to leaking a video of Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee and resigned from office. 

The arrests were widely reported in Israeli media. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of not being authorized to speak with the media. 

A frantic search was underway Sunday along the Tel Aviv beach for Tomer-Yerushalmi, after her family raised concerns for her safety and police found her abandoned car along the coastline, reported Israel’s Channel 12. Police said she was found soon after the search began. 

Former chief military prosecutor Col. Matan Solomesh was also arrested overnight and was appearing in court Monday, reported Israel’s Army Radio. 

Efforts to ramp up Gaza aid and a vaccination campaign  

The exchange of hostage remains for Palestinian bodies has been the central part of the initial phase of the US-brokered ceasefire. The 20-point plan includes the formation of an international stabilization force of Arab and other partners that would work with Egypt and Jordan on securing Gaza’s borders and ensure the ceasefire is respected. 

Multiple nations have shown interest in taking part in a peacekeeping force, but have called for a clear UN Security Council mandate before committing troops. 

Other difficult questions include Hamas’ disarmament and the governance of a postwar Gaza, as well as when and how humanitarian aid will be increased. 

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will visit Jordan on Monday and call on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza. She is expected to visit a warehouse where British aid remains stuck waiting to enter Gaza. 

Ahead of the visit, Cooper said that “humanitarian support is desperately needed and the people of Gaza cannot afford to wait.” 

“Following the US-led peace process and the plans for a substantial increase in aid for Gaza, we need an increase in crossings, an acceleration in lifting of restrictions and more agencies able to go in with aid,” Cooper said. 

Cooper also announced that Britain will provide an extra 6 million pounds ($7.9 million) of humanitarian support for Gaza, provided by the UN Population Fund. 

Also Monday, Gaza’s health ministry announced that a campaign to vaccinate some 40,000 Palestinian children under three years old against preventable diseases like measles, polio and meningitis will kick off next week. 

It will focus on children who missed routine vaccinations or received only partial doses due to the war, Dr. Nedal Ghoneim, the Health Ministry’s public health manager, told the AP. The exact number of children in need of routine vaccinations is unknown due to challenges record-keeping during the war, said Ghoneim. 

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel two years ago killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. 

Israel, which has denied accusations by a UN commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting toll. 

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Arab World

Israel Arrests 175 Activists from Gaza Flotilla Far from its Waters

Global Sumud Flotilla vessels prepare to depart for Gaza at the port of Barcelona, northeastern Spain, 12 April 2026. EPA/MARTA PEREZ
Global Sumud Flotilla vessels prepare to depart for Gaza at the port of Barcelona, northeastern Spain, 12 April 2026. EPA/MARTA PEREZ
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Israel Arrests 175 Activists from Gaza Flotilla Far from its Waters

Global Sumud Flotilla vessels prepare to depart for Gaza at the port of Barcelona, northeastern Spain, 12 April 2026. EPA/MARTA PEREZ
Global Sumud Flotilla vessels prepare to depart for Gaza at the port of Barcelona, northeastern Spain, 12 April 2026. EPA/MARTA PEREZ

Israel's army arrested around 175 activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off Greece, the Israeli foreign ministry and the flotilla's organizers said Thursday.

"Approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats of the condom flotilla are now making their way peacefully to Israel," the ministry said in a statement, using its latest epithet to poke fun at the flotilla after prophylactics were found in a previous convoy.

The statement included a video of the activists aboard an Israeli navy ship.

The organizers of the latest flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists seeking to break Israel's blockade on Gaza had announced shortly beforehand that their boats were surrounded by Israeli military ships while off the coast of the Greek island of Crete.

"At the time of publishing this statement (06:30 Paris time, 04:30 GMT), at least 22 of the flotilla's 58 boats have been stormed by Israeli forces in complete violation of international law," AFP quoted the Global Sumud Flotilla as saying in a statement.

The flotilla set sail in recent weeks from Marseille in France, Barcelona in Spain and Syracuse in Italy.

Overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, the flotilla said its boats had been "illegally surrounded" by Israeli vessels.

The remaining boats in the flotilla are currently near Crete, according to the organization’s live tracking on its website.

"Our boats were approached by military speedboats, self-identified as 'Israel', pointing lasers and semi-automatic assault weapons ordering participants to the front of the boats and to get on their hands and knees," the organization had said.

"Boat communications are being jammed and a SOS was issued."

In the summer and autumn of 2025, a first voyage by the Global Sumud Flotilla across the Mediterranean towards Gaza drew worldwide attention.

The boats in that flotilla were intercepted by Israel off the coasts of Egypt and the Gaza Strip in early October.

The Israeli operation, described as illegal by the organizers and by Amnesty International, drew international condemnation.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and then expelled by Israel.

Israel controls all entry points to Gaza, and has been accused by the United Nations and foreign NGOs of strangling the flow of goods into the territory, causing shortages since the start of the war in October 2023.

The Gaza Strip, governed by Hamas, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007, and the war triggered by the Palestinian movement's attack on Israel has led to severe shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel.

A fragile ceasefire was reached last October after two years of devastating conflict.

Arab World

Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Strengthening Lebanon’s Stability

Patriarch al-Rahi receives Ambassador Bukhari in Bkerke (NNA)
Patriarch al-Rahi receives Ambassador Bukhari in Bkerke (NNA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Strengthening Lebanon’s Stability

Patriarch al-Rahi receives Ambassador Bukhari in Bkerke (NNA)
Patriarch al-Rahi receives Ambassador Bukhari in Bkerke (NNA)

A meeting between Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros al-Rahi and Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari in Bkerke underscored the priority of consolidating stability in Lebanon by supporting the state and its institutions and fostering a climate of national unity.

A statement from the Maronite Patriarchate said the talks focused on “ways to strengthen stability in Lebanon and support the path of the state and its institutions.”

Bukhari conveyed greetings from the Saudi leadership and praised the patriarch’s “national and spiritual role,” stressing that the current phase requires wise leadership capable of reinforcing stability and supporting Lebanon’s constitutional authorities as they confront ongoing challenges.

He added that “building people comes before building infrastructure, and that fostering loyalty to the nation remains the fundamental pillar of any future recovery.”

The discussion also addressed Lebanon’s situation from a historical and intellectual perspective, drawing on the works of historians such as Philippe Hitti, Kamal Salibi and Asad Rustom.

The meeting’s participants raised the notion that Lebanon’s various communities may have reached a stage of “symbolic exhaustion” from recurring crises, potentially opening the door to renewed emphasis on shared national ground rather than division.

They stressed that Lebanon’s history, marked by repeated cycles, calls for drawing lessons to avoid future crises and move toward a new phase centered on national cohesion.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of supporting dialogue initiatives, particularly interfaith and national gatherings, given their role in reinforcing stability and promoting unity among Lebanon’s diverse communities.

Rahi stressed the importance of upholding national principles and safeguarding the dignity and future of the Lebanese people.

He expressed appreciation for efforts to support Lebanon and its stability, saying the current phase “requires collective awareness and national responsibility to protect the country and rebuild it on solid foundations.”

Arab World

Lebanon: Disagreements Over Israel Talks Strain Aoun-Berri Ties

Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Lebanon: Disagreements Over Israel Talks Strain Aoun-Berri Ties

Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Israeli soldiers operate in southern Lebanon, as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Disagreements between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri over negotiations with Israel have come to the surface as violence has continued despite a recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Aoun said Wednesday that he had coordinated all steps with Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. But Berri responded sharply, saying the president’s remarks were “inaccurate, if not otherwise.”

Aoun had said Israel must “understand that it must first fully implement the ceasefire before moving on to negotiations,” stressing that every step he had taken regarding talks “was coordinated and consulted on with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, contrary to what is being reported in the media.”

Berri quickly pushed back in a statement: “With all due respect to the presidency and to what His Excellency the president is saying, the remarks attributed to him ... are inaccurate, if not otherwise - particularly regarding the November 2024 arrangement and the issue of negotiations.”

Aoun also said he was “making every possible effort to reach a solution far from violence and the bloodshed in the South,” adding that such a solution could be achieved through negotiations, “which are war without bloodshed.”

Amid mounting criticism over the decision to pursue direct negotiations with Israel, Aoun reiterated: “In every step I have taken, I was in coordination and consultation with Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, contrary to what is being reported in the media.”

He added: “As for the criticism that Lebanon, through the US statement issued after the trilateral talks in Washington, agreed to grant Israel the freedom to continue its attacks on Lebanon, I say that this wording appeared in a statement issued by the US State Department. It is the same text adopted in November 2024 and approved by all parties. It is a statement, not an agreement, because an agreement comes after negotiations are concluded.”

The Lebanese president stressed that if Israel believes it can achieve security through violations and the destruction of border villages, it is mistaken, noting that it has tried this approach before without success.

“The only thing that can protect the borders is when the Lebanese state, in full strength, is present throughout the entire south, up to the international border,” he underlined.

“Israel must definitively understand that the only path to security is through negotiations, but it must first fully implement the ceasefire before moving to negotiations.”

Aoun acknowledged “many difficulties” facing efforts to reach that goal, saying Lebanon is working to mitigate the consequences of Israeli attacks through intensive diplomatic contacts.

“It is unacceptable for Israeli attacks to continue after the ceasefire has been declared,” he said. “We are now awaiting the United States to set a date to begin negotiations. All European Union countries, along with Arab states, have supported our choice of negotiations. There is also broad consensus among the Lebanese people, especially in the south, on the need to end the war,” he added.

The president highlighted a positive development, saying that the Lebanon file is now on the desk of US President Donald Trump. “He holds a special regard for Lebanon and spoke highly, in a very moving way, about Lebanon and its people during our phone call. This is an opportunity we must seize to guide our country toward safety and peace,” Aoun said.

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2, and Israeli and Lebanese representatives have since met twice in Washington, the first such meetings in decades, for discussions that Hezbollah has categorically rejected.

After the first talks, Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire that began on April 17, and a three-week extension after the second round.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon, particularly the south, despite the truce, and has carried out demolitions of border villages inside a "Yellow Line" it established in southern Lebanon.

It said on Wednesday that it struck "approximately 20 command centers and military structures used by Hezbollah.”