The names of four dead hostages returned by Hamas to Israel have been identified, the Israeli military confirmed.
Hamas released the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages on Monday as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
However, it only returned the bodies of four of the 28 deceased captives, prompting some Israeli groups to call for the agreement to be suspended.
Four of the deceased whose remains were returned were named as Guy Illuz, 26, who died from wounds sustained at the Nova music festival during the October 7, 2023, attack after reportedly being denied medical treatment while in Hamas captivity, and Bipin Joshi, 23, who was murdered during the early months of the war – Captain Daniel Peretz, 22, was taken hostage by Hamas during October 7, and Yossi Sharabi, 53, who was taken from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri and died after several months in captivity.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel also freed around 1,900 Palestinian detainees, including 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis and 1,700 others who had been captured from Gaza during the war and held without charge.
Part of the ceasefire agreement is that Israel would pull back in Gaza to the so-called "yellow line", where its forces were in August, before they launched the recent offensive on Gaza City.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said troops in the northern Gaza Strip had opened fire "to remove the threat” of several people approaching them across the yellow line and not complying with orders to stop.
It didn’t immediately comment on any casualties in the incident.
“After multiple attempts to distance them, the suspects refused to comply, prompting troops to open fire to remove the threat,” Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said his focus is on “rebuilding Gaza", but major challenges remain, including questions over Palestinian statehood, whether Hamas will disarm, and who will govern the territory once the conflict ends.
Asked whether the deal could pave the way for a Palestinian state, Trump said: "We’re talking about rebuilding Gaza.
"I’m not talking about single state or double state or two-state. We’re talking about the rebuilding of Gaza."
Trump later posted on his social media platform Truth Social to announce that "All twenty hostages are back" and that "phase two begins now", referring to the next step in peace proceedings in Gaza.
Speaking to MPs in parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state had been a key part of reaching this ceasefire.
“This move, taken alongside our allies France, Canada, Australia and others, helped lead to the historic New York declaration, where for the first time the entire Arab League condemned the atrocities of October 7, urged Hamas to disarm and, crucially, demanded that they end their rule in Gaza,” he said.
Praising the US president, Starmer said, “This is his deal,” as he committed the UK to assisting in rebuilding Gaza and maintaining a lasting peace in the region.
Speaking in the Knesset on Monday, the Israeli parliament, the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he remains “committed to this peace", raising hopes the ceasefire could become permanent.
Before travelling to Egypt, Trump visited Israel to mark the start of the truce and also addressed the Knesset, saying it was an "incredible triumph for Israel and the world".
He also described Netanyahu as "a man of exceptional courage and patriotism".
Among the most difficult issues still to be resolved is Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm, a step the group has firmly refused. Hamas insists that Israel must first withdraw all its troops from Gaza.
So far, Israeli forces have pulled back from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas, but remain in parts of Rafah, in northern towns, and along Gaza’s border with Israel.
The future governance of Gaza also remains uncertain. Under a US-backed proposal, an international body would oversee the territory, with Palestinian technocrats managing daily affairs.
Hamas has said Gaza’s leadership should instead be determined by Palestinians themselves.
Trump has suggested that former Prime Minister Tony Blair could serve on the international board overseeing Gaza.
The plan also envisions a potential role for Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, long opposed by Netanyahu, but only after significant internal reforms.
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