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Trump hints at 'action' if Hamas doesn't return hostage bodies

PHOTO: Protesters call for the release of all the bodies of hostages held in Gaza during an event in Tel Aviv on Oct. 25, 2025.
4:39
Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
JD Vance criticizes Israel's parliament vote on West Bank annexation
By Kevin Shalvey, Jon Haworth, Emily Shapiro, Nadine El-Bawab, David Brennan
Last Updated: October 13, 2025, 3:26 PM

U.S. officials -- including Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner -- traveled to Israel this week for high-level meetings, discussing the next steps in the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Israel has accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal by withholding the bodies of the remaining 13 deceased hostages thought to have died during or after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas has said the return of the remaining bodies "may take some time" due to the destruction.

Key Headlines

  • Egyptian resources deployed in Gaza to help locate, recover Israeli hostage remains
  • Netanyahu says Israel, not US, will decide security policy
  • Trump hints at 'action' if Hamas doesn't return hostage bodies 'quickly’
  • Rubio says West Bank annexation would 'threaten this whole process'
  • Aid allowed into Gaza is still falling short of what is needed, WHO head says
Here's how the news is developing.

Oct 13, 2025 3:26 PM

Coffins with 2 deceased hostages transferred to Red Cross, heading to IDF forces in Gaza

The coffins of two of the 28 deceased hostages still in Gaza have been transferred to the Red Cross and are “on their way” to Israel Defense Forces in Gaza, the IDF said in a statement.

“Following this, there will be an additional transfer of another two coffins of deceased hostages,” the IDF said.

The Hostage Families Forum said they learned that only four of the 28 hostage bodies will be returned on Monday, and the group blasted Hamas for its “blatant breach of the agreement.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the return of only four bodies is a “failure to meet commitments” of the first phase of the ceasefire deal, and he said “any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a blatant violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly.”


Oct 13, 2025 3:13 PM

Trump arrives in Egypt for peace summit, says phase 2 of ceasefire negotiations has started

President Donald Trump has arrived in Egypt where he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi are co-chairing an international peace summit.

PHOTO: Map of President Trump's main locations in Israel and Egypt during Israel and Gaza Peace Plan
Google Earth
President Trump's main locations in Israel and Egypt during Israel and Gaza Peace Plan
Google Earth

Trump will attend a ceremony to mark the signing of phase one of the ceasefire agreement.

Before the signing, as Trump sat with El-Sisi, he said that phase two of ceasefire negotiations has started.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump talks with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Evan Vucci/AP
President Donald Trump talks with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Evan Vucci/AP

PHOTO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets President Donald Trump ahead of a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi meets President Donald Trump ahead of a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters


"The phases are all a little bit mixed in with each other," Trump said, adding, "You’re gonna start cleaning up. You look at Gaza, it needs a lot of cleanup."

A reporter asked Trump what the next steps are now that the living hostages have been returned, and the president responded, "They're looking for bodies ... they're gonna be finding quite a few of them."

Sitting alongside Trump were White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who Witkoff praised for his work in the negotiations.

The summit is being attended by leaders from more than 20 countries, a spokesman for the Egyptian presidency said, and it aims “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability."


Oct 13, 2025 2:16 PM

Red Cross heading to pick up 'a number of' coffins of deceased hostages

The Israel Defense Forces said the Red Cross is heading to pick up "a number of coffins of deceased hostages."

The Hostage Families Forum said they’ve learned that only four of the 28 bodies of hostages still believed to be in Gaza will be returned on Monday.



Oct 13, 2025 2:11 PM

Hostage Families Forum says 4 of 28 bodies will be returned Monday

The Hostage Families Forum said they’ve learned that only four of the 28 bodies of hostages still believed to be in Gaza will be returned on Monday.

The group is accusing Hamas of violating the deal, saying "this represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas" and "we expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice."

In another statement, the Families' Headquarters for the Return of the Abductees said it "demands an immediate halt to the implementation of the [ceasefire] agreement" until the bodies of all hostages are returned.

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said Monday, "We will not rest until the mission is complete. We are prepared for the return of all the fallen hostages, and expect Hamas to abide by the terms of the agreement."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the return of four bodies is a “failure to meet commitments,” of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

“Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a blatant violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly,” Katz said in the statement.


Oct 22, 2025 7:18 PM

Aid group says 500 tons of lifesaving aid for Gaza stuck at border

There are 500 tons of lifesaving aid, including medical equipment and hygiene supplies, for Gaza stuck at the border "due to ongoing bureaucratic delays by the Israeli authorities," according to the International Rescue Committee.

"IRC staff working inside Gaza have shared firsthand accounts of the immense suffering, loss, and resilience of communities. These testimonies reflect the daily reality faced by families across Gaza and underscore the urgent need for the continued reduction of violence and sustained humanitarian action," the IRC said in a statement Wednesday.

PHOTO: Palestinians walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, October 22, 2025.
Omar Al-qattaa/AFP via Getty Images
Palestinians walk past the rubble of destroyed buildings in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, October 22, 2025.
Omar Al-qattaa/AFP via Getty Images

This comes one day after the World Food Programme said more border crossings need to be opened to allow in aid at the level needed to keep the famine from spreading.

"IRC staff on the ground report that thousands of displaced people and many who have returned to areas like Gaza City after the ceasefire are still struggling amid massive destruction. With homes reduced to rubble and basic services decimated, families are living without adequate shelter, clean drinking water, food, or sanitation," IRC said.

"Health facilities remain overwhelmed, leaving those in need of medical care unable to access lifesaving services, putting already vulnerable lives at even greater risk," the aid group warned.


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