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Egyptian excavation gear helped expand Hamas’ search for the bodies of remaining hostages in Gaza on Saturday, while the group said Israel “clearly violated” the ceasefire with a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, according to the Associated Press. An Israel Defense Force (IDF) spokesperson confirmed the strike to Newsweek via WhatsApp saying the “precise strike” targeted a “terrorist from the Islamic Jihad,” adding that “IDF troops in the Southern Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.” Why It Matters Earlier this month, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, and Israel agreed to President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and a ceasefire. Since then, tensions have risen amid reports of alleged violations by both sides, leaving the agreement on shaky ground. Trump’s proposal marks the most substantial effort yet toward a lasting agreement in the over two-year-long war, after earlier deals yielded only temporary cease-fires. Trump has been applauded by Israelis and Palestinians on the matter, as well as world leaders, however, there is concern that it may unravel. Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and took around 250 hostages, and their release has been a central tenet of the first phase of the peace agreement. All living hostages were handed over to Israel earlier this month, and as of Sunday, Hamas has returned the remains of 15 hostages, with 13 still to be returned. Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians, and released around 2,000 Palestinians, according to the AP. Bulldozers line up in front of the Rafah border crossing waiting to enter the Gaza Strip on October 26 in Rafah, Egypt. (Photo by Ali Moustafa/Getty Images) What To Know Egyptian machinery, including bulldozers and excavators, tore through rubble and debris in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis as part of efforts to recover hostages. Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the group has begun searching new areas for the remains of more than a dozen hostages, the AP reported. Photographs show several heavy equipment lined up to enter Gaza on Sunday. Trump warned in a Saturday Truth Social post that “Hamas is going to have to start returning the bodies of the deceased hostages, including two Americans, quickly, or the other Countries involved in this GREAT PEACE will take action.” He added: “Let’s see what they do over the next 48 hours. I am watching this very closely.” Hamas has repeatedly said that widespread destruction across Gaza has hindered its ability to recover some of the hostages. Since October 2023, Israel’s ground and air offensives in Gaza have displaced more than 2 million people and killed more than 68,500 Palestinians, according to the AP. Israel, which controls aid into Gaza, has repeatedly halted and blocked entry points, which critics have called inhumane leverage. The United Nations (U.N.) reported in August that more than half a million people in Gaza “are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths.” Much of Gaza has been razed. The IDF confirmed to Newsweek that on Saturday, “The IDF conducted a precise strike in the Nuseirat area in central Gaza Strip targeting a terrorist from the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization who planned to carry out an imminent attack against IDF troops.” Islamic Jihad, which is believed to be the second largest military group in Gaza, denied the allegation, according to the AP. Hamas said the strike, which sent the injured to the Al-Awda Hospital, is a “clear violation” of the ceasefire agreement. Both parties have accused the other of violations of the agreement. Palestinians watch machinery and some workers from Egypt searching for the bodies of hostages at Hamad City, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi) What People Are Saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly Cabinet meeting Sunday, per the AP: “Of course, we also thwart dangers as they are being formed, before they are carried out, as we did just yesterday in the Gaza Strip.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, said during a CNN interview earlier this month: “…The relentless bombing of the Palestinian people, and many of them have been just innocent people, they’re not Hamas. They’re literally women and children…it’s very real. I think that is equally horrific. I just want to see an end to it.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a Saturday X post: “We will not forget the lives of the hostages who died in the captivity of Hamas. Today I met with the families of American citizens Itay Chen and Omer Neutra. We will not rest until their — and all — remains are returned.” Vice President JD Vance said on October 23: “No American troops on the ground, but Ameri...
