Live Updates: Israel identifies four dead hostages as next steps for Gaza peace plan uncertain

What we’re covering:

• The next steps for Israel and Gaza remain uncertain, even as US President Donald Trump hails the ceasefire as a major victory.
• Families of hostages say they are “shocked and dismayed” after only four bodies were returned from Gaza.
• The UN says aid is finally flowing into Gaza for the first time in seven months.

14 min ago — Hostage Families Seek Closure

From CNN

Israeli police officers saluted as vehicles carrying the bodies of four deceased hostages arrived at a forensic institute in Tel Aviv on Monday.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it hoped formal identification would bring “some measure of comfort” to families after more than two years of anguish.

“We embrace the families of Guy Illouz and Bipin Joshi, along with two additional families whose loved ones were recently returned for proper burial,” the group said.
Despite the partial return, the forum vowed it “will not rest until all 24 hostages are brought home.”

Hamas had previously listed Illouz and Joshi among the four bodies handed over. Families said they were not expecting all remains to be returned but were still “shocked and dismayed” by the small number.

47 min ago — ‘A Ray of Light’ as Aid Enters Gaza

From CNN

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the ceasefire has brought a “ray of light” to Gaza as aid convoys enter the enclave for the first time in months.

“The scale of destruction is staggering,” spokesperson Olga Cherevko told CNN, “but people finally have a moment to look forward to something.”

Cherevko said trucks were crossing into Gaza for hours at a time, a major shift after Israel’s seven-month blockade.
OCHA’s initial plan will prioritize the most vulnerable — delivering nutrition support to 500,000 people and water and sanitation aid to 1.4 million.

She added that reopening schools is also a priority: “We’re setting up temporary learning centers so children can start being kids again.”

1 hr 12 min ago — Trump Dodges Question on Palestinian Statehood

From CNN

US President Donald Trump returned to Washington, DC, after his brief Middle East trip, where he signed the Gaza ceasefire deal alongside leaders from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump avoided a direct answer when asked whether he supports a Palestinian state.
“I’m not talking about single or double state,” he said. “We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza.”

Trump added that opinions vary: “Some people like the one-state solution, some like two. We’ll see.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi earlier called the ceasefire a “historic opportunity” and urged progress toward a two-state solution that ensures stability across the region.

Trump’s hesitation comes weeks after he dismissed global momentum for Palestinian statehood as a “reward for Hamas” during his UN speech.

1 hr 20 min ago — Deceased Hostages Identified

From CNN

Israeli authorities confirmed the identities of two deceased hostages returned by Hamas: Bipin Joshi, a 23-year-old Nepali student abducted from Kibbutz Alumim, and Guy Illouz, 26, kidnapped from the Nova music festival.

The Israel Defense Forces said Joshi was killed early in captivity, while Illouz died from untreated wounds. Two other bodies, believed to be Daniel Peretz and Yossi Sharabi, are awaiting formal identification.

Their return followed the release of 20 living hostages earlier Monday, as well as 1,700 Palestinian detainees and 250 prisoners under the first phase of the ceasefire deal.