Hamas, Israel and Gaza
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has ordered the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to remain closed until further notice, and said its reopening would be considered based on the return of the final hostage remains and the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
As the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes hold, some aid has begun flowing into the Gaza Strip, where many Palestinians are returning home and beginning to reckon with the destruction caused by the two-year conflict.
Israel has identified the remains two hostages on Sunday after Hamas handed over their bodies to the Red Cross Saturday night.
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No names were immediately released. The bodies were in Israel and were being taken to the country’s National Institute of Forensic Medicine.
Two dozen countries have restricted or ended arms sales to Israel. But the impact has been limited — and with the ceasefire, some could resume trade.
Hamas will hand over the bodies of two Israeli hostages, the armed wing of the militant group said on Saturday. The exchange is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET).
The handover came after Hamas’ military wing said the remains were that of an “occupation prisoner,” suggesting that they belonged to an Israeli rather than one of the hostages of several other nationalities also taken in Gaza.