US Vice President JD Vance has toured a newly opened facility in Israel focused on joint civilian and military efforts, describing it as key to maintaining momentum behind the US-supported ceasefire agreement for Gaza.
Mr Vance, who was joined by senior American officials during the visit, remarked that the truce, while delicate, is progressing “better than I expected,” reports Breaking News.
US envoy Steve Witkoff also expressed optimism, saying, “we are exceeding where we thought we would be at this time,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Vance, Mr Witkoff and others are visiting Israel to bolster the ceasefire following a surge in violence and renewed scrutiny over plans for lasting peace in the region.
He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior figures, and is expected to remain in the region until Thursday, reports Breaking News.
Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key figure in the ceasefire’s design, is also present in Israel.
Meanwhile, Hamas announced it had returned the remains of two additional hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, reports Breaking News.
Amid growing frustration within Israel over the pace of hostage returns, Mr Vance urged calm and patience.
“Some of these hostages are buried under thousands of pounds of rubble. Some of the hostages, nobody even knows where they are,” Mr Vance said. “It’s just a reason to counsel in favour of a little bit of patience,” reports Breaking News.
He noted that much of the recovery and coordination effort remains complex and difficult, and called for flexibility as future steps are considered, reports Breaking News.
The ceasefire agreement has been in place since October 10. Though recent clashes and mutual blame over violations have tested it, both Hamas and Israel have reiterated their commitment. Mr Trump has also publicly endorsed its success.
Egypt’s intelligence chief, Major General Hassan Rashad, arrived in Israel on Tuesday for talks with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Witkoff, and others about enforcing the ceasefire, reports Breaking News.
These discussions underscore the pressing need to initiate the next stage of the US peace framework, which must tackle the disarmament of Hamas and outline who will govern Gaza once the conflict ends.
Hamas negotiators again confirmed their commitment to a complete end to the war, reports Breaking News.
“From the day we signed the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement, we were determined and committed to seeing it through to the end,” Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, who is in Cairo, told Egypt’s Al-Qahera News.
Israel has verified that Palestinian fighters handed over the body of Tal Haimi, who died during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the current conflict.
Mr Haimi was taken from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak, where he was part of an emergency response team. He was 42 and the father of four children, one of whom was born after his death, reports Breaking News.
Under the truce deal, Israel awaits the return of the remains of 15 hostages from Hamas. So far, 13 sets of remains have been handed over.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel has agreed to transfer 15 Palestinian bodies in exchange for each deceased hostage. On Tuesday, another 15 were returned, bringing the total to 165 this month, reports Breaking News.
International aid agencies are ramping up relief efforts for Gaza as Hamas authorities intensify crackdowns on what they describe as exploitative pricing by local merchants.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that over 530 trucks had entered Gaza over the past ten days, providing food for nearly half a million people for two weeks, though this remains far below the 500–600 trucks entering daily pre-war.
The WFP also said it had reopened 26 food distribution sites and aims to restore its full network of 145 locations across Gaza as conditions allow, reports Breaking News.
Local residents said essential goods spiked in price on Sunday after deadly exchanges in which two Israeli soldiers and dozens of Palestinians were killed. Israel also warned it might cut off humanitarian aid.
On Monday, Hamas claimed its security units raided and shut down at least ten shops and warehouses across Gaza, compelling traders to reduce prices. They’ve also stepped up order enforcement to secure aid deliveries and prevent looting, reports Breaking News.
A senior Gaza health official alleged that some of the Palestinian bodies returned by Israel displayed “evidence of torture” and called for an independent United Nations-led investigation.
So far, only 32 of the returned bodies have been officially identified, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, reports Breaking News.
Israel’s Prisons Service has denied any mistreatment of detainees, asserting that inmates received medical attention, lived under appropriate conditions, and that proper legal procedures were followed.
During the October 7, 2023 assault, Hamas-led militants killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and took 251 individuals hostage, reports Breaking News.
Since then, over 68,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not separate civilians from fighters in its reporting.
The ministry’s detailed casualty data is generally accepted as credible by the United Nations and other independent groups, though Israel has disputed the numbers without offering alternatives, reports Breaking News.
The Red Cross has said that thousands more people in Gaza remain missing.
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