Recent incidents between Israel and Hamas have shown just how weak a ceasefire is.
Today, Monday, Israel wakes up to the bittersweet truth. Always live hostages at home. However, many families, only accepted the box. The previous day, Hamas returned some remains, and the Prime Minister’s office confirmed it with a red cross that found “Israel has found … the bodies of the hostages.”
The war did not end with the last helicopter. Our soldiers are injured on the road, and our citizens are under constant threat.
Overnight, the IDF reported that Palestinian terrorists in the Rafah area were repulsed by Israeli forces and vowed to “take firm action” in response. A subsequent update said the attackers “fired RPGs and engaged in sniper fire” at forces operating there. Independent reporting described Israeli strikes in southern Gaza after forces “attacked Israeli forces with RPGs,” emphasizing how weak they would remain.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli armed forces to respond forcefully against the Gazan Terror Trapt before the closure of all Gaza crossings. The decision comes after the IDF’s declaration to fight Hamas in Rafah after the terrorist group fired stones at Israeli soldiers.
Netanyahu is the first Israeli to react strongly during a consultation with Israeli Prime Minister Israel Katz and the heads of Israel’s security establishment, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office.
Family and friends mourn at the funeral of Uriel Baruch, in Jerusalem on October 19, 2025. Baruch was kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza on October 7 and killed in exile. Hamas took his body out of Israel a few days ago. (Credit: Yonatan Sindel / Flash90)
This is the time to be clear about the first principles. A deal that brought our people home and demanded that Hamas deliver the dead they could reach. It doesn’t have it. The latest tallies say the latest handover “brings the number of bodies returned to 12,” with another 16 … And still to be returned, “and” all 28 were supposed to be handed over last Monday. “
Hamas told the Mentiotors they need special rescue equipment to find others under the rubble, but that doesn’t remove their responsibility to complete the pledge. A promise is a promise. Save.
The US has reached a crossroads
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff: Your visit comes to a disembarkation point. Help turn the current draft into actionable steps with dates, validations, and results. Press third-party recruitment for handovers, integrated access for recovery teams, and a clear matrix that coordinates continuous relief in achieving compliance.
Encouraging medvorotors to treat the delay as a violation, not as wind. Encourage both sides to keep aid stations open when guns are idle. The goal is simple and completely non-negotiable. Finish the first chapter of this book before writing the second.
Israel, for its part, must continue to treat the fallen with dignity and transparency. The most recent remains were forwarded to the National Center for Forensic Medicine for identification. This careful, professional process gives families the Truth they deserve.
At the same time, the state must protect its soldiers and citizens when they are attacked. The government has ordered the IDF to respond strongly to violations while proposing the construction of storage facilities. This is not an argument; It’s a little status work for their soldiers.
The second journey begins
The families of the winners are now embarking on a second journey, measured in identification reviews, funerals and empty seats. The government owes them clarity on timelines and respect for their language. That means spoilers in the work of painful pain, timely notice before any public statements, and endless mourning equipment after the first week.
It also means national unity that resists the desire to turn pain into politics. The return of dead bodies is not a public relation. It is an agreement with the citizens who entrusted their children to the country and they deserve truth, dignity, presence and accountability.
There is also a broader context that is important. As the bodies are exchanged, each side accuses the other of checking for clues. Hamas’s line today was to blame Israel for “violations,” while admitting that many bodies were transferred. The facts are always strong. Twenty living Israelites came home. Not every dead person has it. Both can be true, and both require action.
The moral cycle has not changed since October 7. Kidnapping civilians was a crime. Two years of abstinence included it. Withholding increases cruelty. Israel is right to insist on the return of everyone, living or dead. The agreement was made in a way. Sit on it. Finish it. Bring it all back.
