President Donald Trump has warned Hamas that they will be “killed” if they do not put an end to violence in Gaza, just days after he celebrated a ceasefire and prisoner-hostage exchange with Israel.
“If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
Hamas executed seven Palestinians this week for “collaborating” with Israel, which Trump condoned at the time, comparing it to US gang violence and strikes on Venezuelan “drug boats”.
Local health authorities said an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis killed two on Thursday. Israel said its forces fired at several individuals who emerged from a tunnel and approached troops, posing an “immediate threat”.
Families of Israeli hostages and captives demanded that a ceasefire be terminated if the 19 bodies remaining in Gaza are not returned.
Hamas said all reachable hostage bodies have been returned to Israel.
Greta Thunberg claims she was ‘kicked and had wh*** written on her suitcase’ in Israeli detention
Poisoned water and shattered grid: Gaza left in environmental freefall after war, report says
Newly-released hostage attends funeral of his commander after body returned from Gaza
These are the hostage bodies released by Hamas – and those yet to be returned
Key Points
- At least 24 Palestinians killed since ceasefire, say Hamas
- Hostage families demand ceasefire be terminated if bodies not returned
- Israel Katz asks IDF to prepare ‘comprehensive plan’ to defeat Hamas
- Returned Palestinian bodies show signs of 'torture and execution'
- Donald Trump says Israel could 'resume fighting' if Hamas breaches ceasefire
US in talks with Indonesia, UAE, Qatar to send troops to Gaza
04:13 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarUS president Donald Trump's administration is speaking with many countries interested in contributing to an international force to stabilize security in Gaza, the White House has said.
Among the countries the US is speaking to about contributing to the force are Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Azerbaijan, two US advisers told Reuters.
There are also currently up to two dozen US troops in the region to help set up the operation, serving in a "coordination, oversight" role, they said.
Italy has publicly said it was willing to take part.
Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto told the UN General Assembly on 23 September that Jakarta was prepared to deploy 20,000 or more troops in Gaza to help secure peace.
France and Britain prepare UN resolution on Gaza peacekeeping force
04:12 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarFrance and the UK, in coordination with the US, are working to finalise a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the foundation for a future international force in Gaza, Paris said.
With a shaky US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holding, planning has begun for an international force to stabilise security in the Palestinian enclave, two senior US advisers said on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in Paris, French foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said such a force needed a UN mandate to provide a strong foundation in international law and ease the process of getting potential contributions from countries.
"France is working closely with its partners on the establishment of such an international mission, which must be formalised through the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution," he said.
"Discussions, notably with the Americans and British, are ongoing to propose this resolution in the coming days.”
Starmer says ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending Aston Villa game is ‘wrong decision’
04:00 , Maira Butt
Starmer says ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending Aston Villa game is ‘wrong’
Fears for Gaza ceasefire grow after Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching Trump’s peace
03:00 , Maira ButtThe fragile Gaza ceasefire is on the brink of collapse, as Hamas accuses Israel of killing at least 24 people in the past six days.
The families of Israeli hostages have meanwhile called on the ceasefire to be terminated if Hamas does not release the remaining bodies of dead captives.
US President Donald Trump waded into the dispute late on Thursday as he threatened that there would be “no choice but to go in and kill” Hamas if it it continued to “kill people in Gaza”.
Fears for Gaza ceasefire grow after Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaches
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya detention extended by six months
02:01 , Maira ButtDr Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza paediatrician, will remain in detention for six more months, Al Mezan’s lawyers confirmed on Thursday.
“An Israeli court has rubber-stamped the extension of Dr. Abu Safiya's arbitrary detention for six more months,” the human rights organisation wrote in a statement on X/Twitter on Thursday.
“This decision strips away any pretense: Dr. Abu Safiya is a hostage, a bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations.”
Amnesty has called for the release of Dr Safiya and all arbitrarily detained Palestinian healthcare workers. The doctor was detained by Israeli authorities on 27 December 2024.
Israeli forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital – the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza at the time – and arrested Dr Safiya, the hospital’s director along with other medical staff.
Prior to Channel 13 footage released earlier this year, he had last been seen walking through rubble towards Israeli tanks after the hospital was raided.
UK ends Gaza surveillance flights after return of hostages
01:01 , Maira ButtTrucks continue to trickle in but 'nowhere near enough'
Thursday 16 October 2025 23:59 , Maira ButtAid trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday as Israel said 600 had been approved to go in under the ceasefire agreement.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said it was a "good base" but nowhere near enough, with medical care also scarce and most of the 2.2 million population homeless.
UNICEF said it has brought in 250 pallets of supplies including family tents, winter clothes, tarpaulins, sanitary pads and hygiene kits.
It has distributed more than 56,000 packs of baby food to help 12,500 children for two weeks, UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram said on Thursday.
Hamas carries out public executions after returning to the streets of Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 23:01 , Maira Butt
Hamas carries out public executions after returning to the streets of Gaza
Palestinian leader and prisoner Marwan Barghouti beaten unconscious in prison, says son
Thursday 16 October 2025 22:30 , Maira ButtMarwan Barghouti, the most popular leader for Palestinians who is currently in an Israeli jail, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards, his son has said.
Arab Barghouti cited evidence given by Palestinian detainees released this week in the ceasefire deal.
According to that information, his 66-year-old father was attacked by eight guards on 14 September while being transferred between Ganot and Megiddo prisons.
“What we know is that while they were transferring my father, they stopped along the way and eight security guards within the prison authority that worked for the prison authority started beating my father up in different ways, by kicking him, by [throwing] him on the ground, by punching him, focusing on the head area, chest area and legs as well,” he said according to The Guardian.
Mr Barghouti could barely walk for days, the released detainees said, after what his son said was the fourth time his father had been beaten over the past two years.
UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said on X: “I fear for the life of Marwan Barghouti. Reports say Israeli guards beat him unconscious.”
She called on the Red Cross to be allowed to visit Mr Barghouti to verify his condition.
Mr Barghouti has been in solitary confinement since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. He has been in prison for more than 20 years after being convicted of planning attacks which led to five civilians being killed, in a trial described as flawed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which questioned the quality of the evidence.
Watch: Putin congratulates Trump for 'solving peace in the Middle East'
Thursday 16 October 2025 22:00 , Maira ButtMaccabi Tel Aviv football fans banned from attending Europa game at Aston Villa
Thursday 16 October 2025 21:34 , Maira ButtAston Villa has said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are not allowed to attend a Europa game on 6 November.
“Following a meeting this afternoon, the Safety Advisory Group have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture,” Villa said in a statement on Thursday.
“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.
“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised the decision, writing: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate anti-semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”
Last year a football game in Amsterdam led to clashes between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
Returned Palestinian bodies show signs of 'torture and execution'
Thursday 16 October 2025 21:30 , Maira ButtThe health ministry in Gaza received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, marking another step in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.
The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment and released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives.
The team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.
Many of the bodies appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust, according to Gaza officials.
Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.
Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. "There are signs of torture and executions," he told The Associated Press.
The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one that had a rope around the neck.
These are the hostage bodies released by Hamas – and those yet to be returned
Thursday 16 October 2025 21:00 , Maira Butt
These are the hostage bodies released by Hamas – and those yet to be returned
Freed Palestinian detainee lost eyesight after beatings
Thursday 16 October 2025 20:35 , Maira ButtA 28-year-old Palestinian has detailed the “torture” he endured in Israeli detention after he says beatings left him without his eyesight.
Mahmoud Abu Foul said he was beaten after being taken from Kamal Adwan Hospital by the Israeli military, in an interview with Channel 4.
“The beating and the interrogation and the torture, as a result of it I lost my eyesight,” he said.
He had had one leg amputated after Israeli strikes in 2015.
The Israeli military has previously said it does not breach any international laws during its interrogations with suspects.
Labour faces criticism after holding conference on Gaza reconstruction
Thursday 16 October 2025 20:15 , Maira ButtMinister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, has faced criticism after holding a conference on the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, days after a fragile ceasefire was agreed.
Falconer referred to the UK’s “deep expertise in private investment” at the event held at Wilton Park earlier this week.
The conference was co-hosted with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority.
“This government has no shame,” Jeremy Corbyn MP told Middle East Eye.
He criticised the government for “allowing private companies to make money” out of the war, which he called a “genocide”.
Israel denies this and called a two-year UN investigation concluding it was committing a genocide, “false” and “distorted”.
Israel said the UK had played the “opposite” of a key role in the Gaza ceasefire and US ambassador Mike Huckabee called cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson “delusional” for her statements that it had done so.
Falconer said that Gaza had “real economic potential” at the conference, which took place earlier this week.
New pictures after ceasefire show sheer scale of Gaza destruction
Thursday 16 October 2025 19:30 , Maira Butt
Israel releases new photo of military standing around body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on anniversary of death
Thursday 16 October 2025 19:13 , Maira ButtOn the one year anniversary of the death of Yahya Sinwar, Israeli forces released an unseen picture depicting the aftermath of the killing of the Hamas leader.
It shows soldiers standing around the body of Sinwar in the rubble where he was killed.
“A year since humanity was freed from the master of the flood of evil,” Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit wrote on Thursday.
“Goodness cannot be defeated—and justice, no matter how delayed, will prevail. To hell, and what a miserable fate awaits you, Sinwar.”
Sinwar was born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis in 1962 and was recruited into the militant group by its founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin. He is reported to have been the mastermind behind 7 October attacks, which killed almost 1,200 Israelis.
Footage of Sinwar throwing a stick at a drone before he was killed went viral on social media after it was released by the Israeli military last year.
Who is Yahya Sinwar? The October 7 attack mastermind killed by Israel
Greta Thunberg claims she was ‘kicked and had wh*** written on her suitcase’ in Israeli detention
Thursday 16 October 2025 19:10 , Maira ButtI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
Greta Thunberg claims she was “hit and kicked” while in Israeli custody after she was detained from her Gaza aid flotilla.
The young Swedish activist has accused Israeli guards of having “no empathy or humanity”, recalled seeing dozens of people in handcuffs with their foreheads on the ground, and says she had to “beg” for water while in 40C heat.
Thunberg also claimed Israeli guards wrote the words “wh***” and drew images of a penis and the Star of David on her suitcase. Israel has hit back at the activist and claimed her allegations are “ludicrous and baseless”.
Greta Thunberg claims she was ‘kicked and had wh*** written on suitcase’ in Israel
Trump says 'we will go in and kill Hamas' if violence continues in Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 18:50 , Daniel KeaneDonald Trump has said that “we will have no choice but to go in and kill Hamas” if violence from the militant group continues in Gaza.
In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trade unions condemn Israeli raids at Palestinian trade union offices in West Bank
Thursday 16 October 2025 18:40 , Maira ButtThe Trades Union Congress and International Trade Union Confederation have condemned a raid by the Israeli military and intelligence forces at the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) in Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
“We demand an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into this incident and full accountability for those responsible,” wrote ITUC secretary Luc Triangle in a statement on Thursday.
Images appear to show workers seated across the floor of the offices with their hands behind their backs amid claims that the building had been “ransacked and vandalised” and entrance doors broken.
The TUC condemned the action as “another example of the intimidation and violence that Palestinians living under Israeli occupation face.”
It added: “Those responsible for these actions, and other violations of international law, must be held to account.”
The Independent has contacted the IDF for comment.
Israel hands over 30 more Palestinian bodies
Thursday 16 October 2025 18:15 , Maira ButtThe Gaza health ministry has announced that 30 more bodies of Palestinians were returned to the enclave by Israel on Thursday.
This brings the total to 120 since Friday.
Hundreds more remain in Israel, which has agreed to handover 15 Palestinian bodies for every body of an Israeli hostage or captive held in Gaza.
The Independent has seen images of the bodies returned to Gaza by Israel, as shared by Gaza’s health ministry.
At least one was seen wearing a blindfold. Other pictures showed dead bodies with ropes around his neck.
Rafah crossing to open on Sunday, says Israeli foreign minister
Thursday 16 October 2025 17:45 , Maira ButtIsraeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that the Rafah crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt, will be re-opened on Sunday.
“We are making all the necessary preparations,” he told Italian news agency ANSA on Thursday.
It was not specified whether the crossing would be opened for the passage of humanitarian aid or for people.
Two Palestinians killed by Israeli airstrike as Israel says they posed 'immediate threat'
Thursday 16 October 2025 17:24 , Maira ButtLocal health authorities said an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed two people on Thursday.
The Israeli military said its forces fired at several people who emerged from a tunnel shaft and approached troops, describing them as posing an immediate threat.
UK ceases surveillance flights over Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 17:15 , Maira ButtThe UK has ended surveillance flights over Gaza and Israel following the announcement of a ceasefire.
“Following the agreement of the Gaza peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and the release of remaining hostages, the Ministry of Defence has ceased surveillance flights over Gaza,” the government said in a statement on Thursday.
“The last fight took place on the 10 October 2025.”
It said that the flights were conducted to work with partners across the region to “secure the release of hostages, including British nationals, who were kidnapped.”
“In support of these efforts the Ministry of Defence conducted surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including operating in air space over Israel and Gaza from December 2023,” it wrote.
“The surveillance aircraft were always unarmed, did not have a combat role, and were tasked solely to locate hostages.”
Britain operated surveillance flights on an almost daily basis with the help of a US contractor, with over 600 flights monitored by flight trackers, according to The Guardian.
Poisoned water and shattered grid: Gaza left in environmental freefall after war, report says
Thursday 16 October 2025 16:55 , Maira ButtGaza’s water, sanitation, and energy systems are on the brink of a total collapse after nearly two years of war, and as residents begin to return, the region’s environmental damage could make its recovery impossible without urgent action, a new report warned.
Analysts said Gaza’s ecosystems have been devastated by bombardments, almost entirely ruining croplands and water systems, leaving the two million people at continuous risk of a humanitarian crisis.
Stuti Mishra reports:
Fears for Gaza ceasefire grow after Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching Trump’s peace
Thursday 16 October 2025 16:34 , Maira ButtFears for Gaza ceasefire grow after Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaches
Dr Hussam Abu Safiya detention extended by six months
Thursday 16 October 2025 15:55 , Maira ButtDr Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza paediatrician, will remain in detention for six more months, Al Mezan’s lawyers confirmed on Thursday.
“An Israeli court has rubber-stamped the extension of Dr. Abu Safiya's arbitrary detention for six more months,” the human rights organisation wrote in a statement on X/Twitter on Thursday.
“This decision strips away any pretense: Dr. Abu Safiya is a hostage, a bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations.”
Amnesty has called for the release of Dr Safiya and all arbitrarily detained Palestinian healthcare workers. The doctor was detained by Israeli authorities on 27 December 2024.
Israeli forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital – the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza at the time – and arrested Dr Safiya, the hospital’s director along with other medical staff.
Prior to Channel 13 footage released earlier this year, he had last been seen walking through rubble towards Israeli tanks after the hospital was raided.
'Rafah crossing will be open in future' says Israel
Thursday 16 October 2025 15:40 , Maira ButtIsrael has said it continues to let aid in, according to its government spokesperson.
“Aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip as usual,” said Shosh Bedrosian on Thursday.
“As part of the agreement, the Rafah crossing will be open in the future. We are in close contact with our partners and have done our part of the agreement.”
Hamas accuses Israel of killing 24 Palestinians since ceasefire
Thursday 16 October 2025 15:33 , Maira ButtA senior Hamas official accused Israel of breaching the ceasefire by having killed at least 24 people in shootings since Friday.
On Thursday they said a list of such violations was handed over to mediators, according to Reuters.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the accusations. It has previously said that some Palestinians have ignored warnings not to approach Israeli troops across ceasefire lines "opened fire to remove the threat".
In a statement released on Thursday, Hamas wrote: “The horrific scenes visible on the bodies of the martyrs returned by the occupation, bearing marks of torture, abuse, and field executions, clearly reveal the criminal and fascist nature of the occupation army and the moral and human decadence this entity has reached, which doesn’t differentiate in its aggression between the living and the dead of our people.
“As such, this constitutes a heinous crime that rises to the level of genocide against our Palestinian people.
“We call upon international rights groups, foremost among them the UN and the Human Rights Council, to document these atrocious crimes, open an urgent and comprehensive investigation into them, and bring the occupation leaders to trial before relevant international courts, as they are responsible for committing unprecedented crimes against humanity in our modern history.”
'Thousands' of aid trucks wait at border as agencies say scale of humanitarian need is 'shocking'
Thursday 16 October 2025 15:25 , Maira Butt
Aid organisations frustrated as crucial supplies trickle into Gaza
Pro-Palestine marches to continue amid fragile ceasefire as organisers hit out at ‘draconian assault’ on right to protest
Thursday 16 October 2025 15:10 , Maira Butt
Pro-Palestine march organisers hit out at ‘draconian assault’ on right to protest
Pictures of scale of Gaza destruction released after ceasefire
Thursday 16 October 2025 14:49 , Maira Butt
Freed Gaza photojournalist finds out family are still alive after being told in Israeli jail they were dead
Thursday 16 October 2025 14:34 , Maira ButtShadi Abu Sido was detained without trial under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law. Mr Sido said he was beaten severely and forced to kneel for extensive periods of time.
During imprisonment, he was told by Israeli authorities his family, including a wife and two children, had been killed.
“I heard her voice, I heard the voice of my children, I was astonished, it cannot be explained, they were alive. I saw my wife and children alive. Imagine amid death - life,” he said, according to Reuters.
An Israeli prison spokesperson said “to the best of our knowledge no such incidents occurred” and the military said treatment of detainees complies with Geneva Conventions.
Listen: Bel Trew speaks to The Media Show about The Independent's coverage of Israel-Gaza war
Thursday 16 October 2025 14:16 , Alex CroftIsrael hands over 30 more Palestinian bodies
Thursday 16 October 2025 13:37 , Alex CroftThe Gaza health ministry has announced that 30 more bodies of Palestinians were returned to the enclave by Israel on Thursday.
This brings the total to 120 since Friday.
Hundreds more remain in Israel, which has agreed to handover 15 Palestinian bodies for every body of an Israeli hostage or captive held in Gaza.
The Independent has seen images of the bodies returned to Gaza by Israel, as shared by Gaza’s health ministry.
At least one was seen wearing a blindfold. Other pictures showed dead bodies with ropez round his neck.
Returned Palestinian bodies show signs of 'torture and execution'
Thursday 16 October 2025 13:19 , Alex CroftThe health ministry in Gaza received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, marking another step in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.
The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment and released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives.
The team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.
Many of the bodies appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust, according to Gaza officials.
Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.
Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. "There are signs of torture and executions," he told The Associated Press.
The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one that had a rope around the neck.
Remains of two Israeli hostages identified
Thursday 16 October 2025 13:00 , Alex CroftThe remains of the two Israeli hostages returned by Hamas last night have been identified by the National Center for Forensic Medicine.
The officials confirmed that Inbar Hayman and Muhammad al-Atarash were the two deceased hostages returned to Israel, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said today.
"The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the families of Hayman and al-Atarash and all the families of the fallen abductees," it added.
These are the hostage bodies released by Hamas – and those yet to be returned
Thursday 16 October 2025 12:38 , Alex CroftIsrael has confirmed receiving two more bodies of hostages from the Red Cross, which are now being examined for identification. If the latest remains are verified, 19 hostages would still be unaccounted for inside Gaza.
Hamas claims it cannot locate the remaining bodies without access to the specialist equipment needed to reach certain areas.
Under the first stage of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obligated to return all 28 deceased hostages.
Maira Butt reports:
These are the hostage bodies released by Hamas – and those yet to be returned
In pictures: Trucks carrying humanitarian aid wait at the Rafah crossing
Thursday 16 October 2025 12:17 , Alex Croft
Palestinian leader and prisoner Marwan Barghouti beaten unconscious in prison, says son
Thursday 16 October 2025 11:57 , Alex CroftMarwan Barghouti, the most popular leader for Palestinians who is currently in an Israeli jail, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards, his son has said.
Arab Barghouti cited evidence given by Palestinian detainees released this week in the ceasefire deal.
According to that information, his 66-year-old father was attacked by eight guards on 14 September while being transferred between Ganot and Megiddo prisons.
“What we know is that while they were transferring my father, they stopped along the way and eight security guards within the prison authority that worked for the prison authority started beating my father up in different ways, by kicking him, by [throwing] him on the ground, by punching him, focusing on the head area, chest area and legs as well,” he said according to The Guardian.
Mr Barghouti could barely walk for days, the released detainees said, after what his son said was the fourth time his father had been beaten over the past two years.
UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said on X: “I fear for the life of Marwan Barghouti. Reports say Israeli guards beat him unconscious.”
She called on the Red Cross to be allowed to visit Mr Barghouti to verify his condition.
Mr Barghouti has been in solitary confinement since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. He has been in prison for more than 20 years after being convicted of planning attacks which led to five civilians being killed, in a trial described as flawed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which questioned the quality of the evidence.
False siren over Israel's Red Sea city of Eilat
Thursday 16 October 2025 11:34 , Alex CroftSirens were activated in Israel's Red Sea city of Eilat after the suspected hostile infiltration of an aircraft, the Israeli military said on Thursday,
It was later confirmed to be a 'false identification'.
Israel will achieve all goals of Gaza campaign, says Netanyahu
Thursday 16 October 2025 11:16 , Alex CroftIsrael will achieve all goals of the Gaza war it had set out to accomplish, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
Speaking at a state ceremony for fallen soldiers during the two-year conflict with militant group Hamas, Netanyahu also said Israel's enemies learned that anyone who lifts a hand against it will pay a heavy price.
Hostage families demand ceasefire be terminated if bodies not returned
Thursday 16 October 2025 10:52 , Alex CroftThe families of Israeli hostages and captives have demanded that the ceasefire with Hamas be terminated if the 19 bodies remaining in Gaza are not returned.
“While Hamas continues to violate the agreement and still holds 19 hostages captive, there is no justification for any unilateral concessions by Israel,” the Hostage Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement.
“The agreement cannot continue to be implemented without Hamas returning all the hostages,” it added.
“Any decision that weakens pressure on Hamas or allows the agreement to continue while hostages remain unreturned would be a grave moral and leadership failure.”
Hamas has said that it has returned all the reachable bodies to Israel.
Before the ceasefire took effect, it was understood that a number of hostage bodies were buried under the rubble in Gaza and would not be easy to locate. An international team is working to help find the remaining bodies in the enclave.
Greta Thunberg claims she was ‘kicked and had whore written on her suitcase’ in Israeli detention
Thursday 16 October 2025 10:44 , Alex CroftGreta Thunberg claims she was “hit and kicked” while in Israeli custody after she was detained from her Gaza aid flotilla.
The young Swedish activist has accused Israeli guards of having “no empathy or humanity”, recalled seeing dozens of people in handcuffs with their foreheads on the grounds, and says she had to “beg” for water while in 40C heat.
Thunberg also claimed Israeli guards wrote the words “whore” and drew images of a penis and the Star of David on her suitcase. Israeli has hit back at the activist and claimed her allegations are “ludicrous and baseless”.
The 22 year-old was detained after attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza in a breach of Israel’s naval blockade of the flattened enclave. She was deported on 6 October.
Read the full report here:
Greta Thunberg claims she was ‘kicked and had whore written on suitcase’ in Israel
Live: Israel state ceremony honours soldiers killed in October 7 attack
Thursday 16 October 2025 10:34 , Alex CroftHamas says it has returned remains of all reachable Israeli hostages
Thursday 16 October 2025 10:22 , Alex CroftHamas says the remains of all dead hostages that it can reach have been handed back to Israel, after the militant group returned two more bodies on Wednesday.
Under the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obliged to return all 28 deceased hostages. If the two bodies are confirmed to be hostages, 19 would still remain unaccounted for in Gaza.
The militant group's armed wing said in a statement that Hamas had “fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access".
"The remaining bodies require significant efforts and specialised equipment to search for and retrieve, and we are making a great effort to close this file".
Bodies of 45 Palestinians handed back to Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 09:47 , Alex CroftThe Gaza health ministry said earlier it had received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
That brings to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.
The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment.
Listen: Bel Trew speaks to The Media Show about The Independent's coverage of Israel-Gaza war
Thursday 16 October 2025 09:20 , Alex CroftAnalysis | It’s taken only 24 hours, but Trump’s fairytale of peace in the Middle East seems doomed
Thursday 16 October 2025 09:00 , Alex CroftAs Donald Trump heralded a “new dawn” for the Middle East at his Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Facebook reminded me that exactly 11 years ago to the day, I was also in the Egyptian resort city, covering another Gaza peace summit, after another bloody war between Hamas and Israel.
The 2014 Gaza conference in Sharm was also packed with world leaders, discussing who was going to foot the bill. It too was focused on the “day after”. And it also, bizarrely, featured Tony Blair.
At the time, the former British prime minister was adroitly dodging my questions in favour of waxing lyrical about the ex-military chief recently turned Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi – who is still mediating and hosting today.
Over a decade later, even Blair himself has returned, this time at Trump’s behest, to head up the so-called “Board of Peace” to oversee the ruling of Gaza.
The same powerful men are having similar vague conversations and offering similarly hollow promises – only now the situation is even more urgent and dire, and the violence has been unprecedented.
Once again, everyone is speaking in almost entirely contradictory terms about a present that doesn’t reflect reality and a magical future that, given the enormous issues that need to be (and haven’t been) addressed, seems impossible to reach.
Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew writes from Israel.
Preparations underway to open Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt
Thursday 16 October 2025 08:42 , Alex CroftPreparations to open the major Rafah border crossing for the movement of people between Gaza and Egypt are underway, Israel’s military aid agency Cogat said on Thursday.
Israel had earlier warned it could keep Rafah shut and reduce aid into the Palestinian enclave as Hamas, it said, was returning the bodies of dead hostages too slowly, underlining the risks to a ceasefire that halted two years of devastating war and saw all living hostages held by Hamas released.
The Rafah crossing will remain closed to humanitarian aid.
Cogat, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows into the Gaza Strip, said humanitarian aid continued to enter the territory via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, and at other crossings.
"It should be emphasised that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing. This was never agreed upon at any stage," COGAT added in a statement sent to Reuters.
Two sources had told Reuters on Wednesday that the Rafah crossing was expected to open for people on Thursday.
Humanitarian aid still entering Gaza, Cogat says
Thursday 16 October 2025 08:24 , Alex CroftHumanitarian aid is still entering the Gaza strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in Gaza’s southern corner, along with other crossings.
This is according to Israeli military agency Cogat, which is responsible for coordinating the country’s activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Cogat did not say how many trucks had gone through the crossings, after Israel announced it would halve the number of trucks going into Gaza to 300 from Wednesday.
Violence erupts at pro-Palestine protest in Barcelona
Thursday 16 October 2025 07:59 , Alex CroftViolence erupted at a pro-Palestine protest in Barcelona, with clashes continuing into the night on Wednesday (15 October).
Demonstrators set bins on fire and smashed the windows of banks and fast food restaurants.
Approximately 1,000 protesters marched towards the Israeli consulate in the Spanish city to condemn Israel’s military action in the Gaza Strip.
The Spanish government has openly criticised the actions of the Israeli army, a stance which has gained strong public support.
Fresh pictures reveal scale of devastation in Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 07:43 , Alex CroftNetanyahu says Israel 'will not compromise' with Hamas
Thursday 16 October 2025 07:19 , Alex CroftIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel "will not compromise" and demanded that Hamas fulfill the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of hostages' bodies.
The comments came after Donald Trump, in an interview with CNN, warned that Israel could resume the war if he feels Hamas isn't upholding its end of the agreement.
"Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word," Trump said.
Hamas' armed wing said in a statement Wednesday that the group honored the ceasefire's terms and handed over the remains of the hostages it had access to.
Hamas has assured the US through intermediaries that it is working to return dead hostages, according to two senior US advisers.
The advisers, who were not authorized to comment publicly and briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity, said they do not believe Hamas has violated the deal.
It’s taken only 24 hours, but Trump’s fairytale of peace in the Middle East seems doomed
Thursday 16 October 2025 06:56 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarAs the ceasefire teeters after only a day, the region looks set to remain trapped in a dystopian, ever-violent Groundhog Day, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew
It’s taken only 24 hours, but Trump’s fairytale Middle East peace seems doomed
Israel Katz asks IDF to prepare ‘comprehensive plan’ to defeat Hamas
Thursday 16 October 2025 06:26 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarIsraeli defence minister Israel Katz said he has instructed the military to prepare a “comprehensive plan” to defeat Hamas should the war be renewed in Gaza.
According to Mr Katz’s office, the minister instructed “the preparation of a plan for the complete defeat of Hamas in Gaza if it refuses to implement [US] President [Donald] Trump’s plan, and it becomes necessary to resume fighting".
“Under Trump’s plan, Hamas must return all the fallen hostages in its possession, and disarm, while Israel, together with the international force led by the US, will act to destroy all tunnels and terror infrastructure in Gaza to ensure that Gaza is demilitarized [and does not pose] any threat to the State of Israel,” a statement from his office read.
“If Hamas refuses to implement the agreement, Israel, in coordination with the US, will return to fighting and act to achieve the complete defeat of Hamas, change the reality in Gaza, and attain all the objectives of the war."
Israel says repatriated body is not that of a hostage
Thursday 16 October 2025 06:10 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was under pressure on Wednesday after Israel said a body returned among the remains of hostages did not correspond to any of the captives.
The Israeli military said on Wednesday morning that one of four bodies repatriated late on Tuesday did not match any of the 21 still believed to be in Gaza.
Relatives identified the bodies of Uriel Baruch, Tamir Nimrodi and Eitan Levy, after the remains of Guy Illouz, Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi and Daniel Peretz were returned on Monday. Hamas released all 20 living hostages still in its custody on Monday.
James C. Reynolds reports.
Gaza ceasefire under pressure as Israel says dead body is not that of a hostage
Remains of two Israeli hostages identified
Thursday 16 October 2025 05:51 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe remains of the two Israeli hostages returned by Hamas last night have been identified by the National Center for Forensic Medicine.
The officials confirmed that Inbar Hayman and Muhammad al-Atarash were the two deceased hostages returned to Israel, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said today.
"The government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the families of Hayman and al-Atarash and all the families of the fallen abductees," it added.
Hamas says it has returned remains of all reachable Israeli hostages
Thursday 16 October 2025 05:42 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarHamas says the remains of all dead hostages that it can reach have been handed back to Israel, after the militant group returned two more bodies on Wednesday.
Under the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas is obliged to return all 28 deceased hostages. If the two bodies are confirmed to be hostages, 19 would still remain unaccounted for in Gaza.
The militant group's armed wing said in a statement that Hamas had “fulfilled its commitment to the agreement by handing over all living Israeli prisoners in its custody, as well as the corpses it could access".
"The remaining bodies require significant efforts and specialised equipment to search for and retrieve, and we are making a great effort to close this file".
Returned Palestinian bodies show signs of 'torture and execution'
Thursday 16 October 2025 04:31 , Alisha Rahaman SarkarThe health ministry in Gaza received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, marking another step in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.
The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment and released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives.
The team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.
Many of the bodies appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust, according to Gaza officials.
Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.
Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. "There are signs of torture and executions," he told The Associated Press.
The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one that had a rope around the neck.
The difficult journey ahead for freed Hamas hostages
Thursday 16 October 2025 04:30 , Jane DaltonA difficult path to recovery will include rebuilding a sense of control over their lives and following a carefully supervised diet:
From darkness to daylight: The difficult journey ahead for freed Hamas hostages
Watch: Aid trucks pile up at Egypt’s Rafah border point
Thursday 16 October 2025 04:10 , Jane Dalton
Video show Gaza aid trucks pile up at Egypt’s Rafah border point
Israeli families tell of joy to have hostages home
Thursday 16 October 2025 03:00 , Jane DaltonThe family of released Israeli hostages Ariel and David Cunio have been telling of their relief.
Silvia Cunio said: “For two years, I could not breathe. Today, I stand before you and want to scream with joy: my children are home! My family is whole again. I can finally breathe...
“I can’t stop crying from happiness. I know it will take time for them to heal, but I trust my amazing children.”
Sharon Aloni Cunio said: “This is the third night in a row that my David, the love of my life, gets to hug Emma and Yuli before bed. They even fall asleep together. I watch from the side, and the biggest smile doesn’t leave my face...
“They no longer have to ask me if Daddy will really come home, if Daddy is still alive. He’s here! He’s alive!
“Since our own return from captivity, we hadn’t begun to truly heal. We were waiting for David. We felt we couldn’t recover without him.”
Opinion: Sorry, Donald Trump, but that’s not what I call a peace deal
Thursday 16 October 2025 01:45 , Jane DaltonEhud Olmert, former prime minister of Israel, says the US president’s celebrations and speeches do not amount to a plan:
Sorry, Donald Trump, but that’s not what I call a peace deal
Bodies of 45 Palestinians handed back to Gaza
Thursday 16 October 2025 00:30 , Jane DaltonThe Gaza health ministry said earlier it had received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, another step in implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
That brings to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.
The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment.
In pictures: Drone photos reveal extent of Gaza destruction
Wednesday 15 October 2025 23:20 , Jane Dalton
Listen: Bel Trew talks about the sensitivities of reporting on the ceasefire
Wednesday 15 October 2025 22:20 , Jane DaltonMany bodies under pulverised Gaza rubble, say US officials
Wednesday 15 October 2025 22:07 , Jane DaltonMany bodies are under the rubble of Gaza, US officials have warned.
A senior White House adviser said: "The entire Gaza strip has been pulverised. It looks like something out of a out of a movie. And there's very, very little buildings left standing.
“But on top of all of that, all of that debris, and so think almost the level of debris that they had at the World Trade Centre, it feels like, multiple times more.
“On top of all that debris is a lot of unexploded ordinance, and presumably, under that unexploded ordinance and that debris, there are many bodies.
“There's a lot of different intelligence on where someone might have been killed, where they might have been injured, and we've got a lot of information with regard to that, and we've got a huge, huge effort in understanding all of those things now that we have, now that we have greater control physically, of the area, it's going to allow us to do a lot more with the resources we have there.
“But we need more resources, and we're calling on multiple countries, and they they're giving us tremendous commitments."
The adviser said a Turkish team that are "experts in body retrieval" could be brought into Gaza to search the rubble.
"There's a very complicated situation, and each day we're getting deceased out, and we're in good communication directly with the Arab mediators who are in contact with Hamas. And I can tell you that we're not going to leave here until everybody comes home.
"President Trump's been very clear, and the document that all the parties agreed to is clear that there will be a demilitarised Gaza.”
Recap: Hamas hands over nine hostages in total
Wednesday 15 October 2025 21:20 , Jane DaltonThe Red Cross has received the remains of two more of Hamas’s hostages, bringing the number returned to Israel to nine.
Hamas was supposed to have handed over the bodies of 28 dead Israeli hostages by Monday.
The militant group had handed over two sets of four bodies over Monday and Tuesday, but Israel said one body was not that of a hostage.
It handed over two more on Wednesday night.
Israeli minister orders military to prepare to fight Hamas if war restarts
Wednesday 15 October 2025 20:51 , Jane DaltonIsrael's defence minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to prepare a comprehensive plan to “defeat Hamas” in Gaza if the war is renewed, according to a statement from his office.
Hamas hands over two hostages' bodies – Israel
Wednesday 15 October 2025 20:34 , Jane DaltonThe Red Cross has received the remains of two more of Hamas’s hostages to be returned to Israel from Gaza, the Israeli military has said.
Trump: 'Israel could resume fighting if Hamas breaches ceasefire deal'
Wednesday 15 October 2025 20:25 , Jane DaltonUS president Donald Trump has said he would consider allowing Israeli forces to resume fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to uphold its end of the ceasefire deal.
"Israel will return to those streets as soon as I say the word. If Israel could go in and knock the crap of them, they’d do that," Mr Trump was quoted as saying to CNN in a brief telephone call when asked what would happen if Hamas refused to disarm.
US military tells Hamas to halt violence and put down arms
Wednesday 15 October 2025 18:20 , Jane DaltonThe US military's Middle East command has called on Hamas to stop its violence against civilians in Gaza and disarm "without delay".
Hamas, which has not publicly committed to disarming and ceding power, has been reasserting itself by deploying security forces and executing those it deems collaborators with Israel.
The militant group has gradually sent its men back into the streets of Gaza since the ceasefire began on Friday.
It has killed more than 30 members of "a gang" in Gaza City, a Palestinian security source said on Monday.
"We strongly urge Hamas to immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza," said Commander Brad Cooper, head of the US military's Centcom.
Commander Cooper asked the militant group to fully stand down, "strictly" adhere to President Donald Trump's Gaza plan and put down its weapons.
