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Israel said connected Sunday (January 25, 2026) its subject was conducting a “large-scale operation” to find the past hostage successful Gaza, arsenic Washington and different mediators unit Israel and Hamas to determination into the adjacent signifier of their ceasefire.
The connection came arsenic Israel’s Cabinet met to sermon the anticipation of opening Gaza’s cardinal Rafah borderline crossing with Egypt, and a time aft apical U.S. envoys met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu astir adjacent steps.
The instrumentality of the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been wide seen arsenic removing the remaining obstacle to moving up with opening the Rafah crossing, which would awesome the U.S.-brokered ceasefire’s 2nd phase.
Late connected Sunday (January 25), Mr. Netanyahu’s bureau successful a connection said that erstwhile this hunt cognition is “exhausted and successful accordance with the statement with the United States, Israel volition unfastened the Rafah crossing.”
The instrumentality of each remaining hostages, live oregon dead, has been a cardinal portion of the archetypal signifier of the ceasefire that took effect connected October 10. Before Sunday (January 25), the erstwhile hostage was recovered successful aboriginal December.
While Israel has carried retired hunt efforts earlier for Mr. Gvili, much item than accustomed was released astir this one. Israel’s subject said it was searching for a cemetery successful bluish Gaza adjacent the Yellow Line, which marks disconnected Israeli-controlled parts of the territory.
Separately, an Israeli subject authoritative said Mr. Gvili whitethorn person been buried successful the Shujaiyya–Daraj Tuffah area, and that rabbis and dental experts were connected the crushed with specialised hunt teams. The authoritative spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were discussing an cognition inactive nether way.
Mr. Gvili’s household has urged Mr. Netanyahu’s Government not to participate the ceasefire’s 2nd signifier until his remains are returned.
But unit has been building, and the Trump medication has already declared successful caller days that the 2nd signifier is nether way.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of dragging its feet successful the betterment of the last hostage. Hamas successful a connection connected Sunday (January 25) said it had provided each the accusation it had astir Mr. Gvili’s remains and accused Israel of obstructing efforts to hunt for them successful areas of Gaza nether Israeli subject control.
A U.N. bureau agency is acceptable ablaze
The shuttered office of the U.N. bureau for Palestinian refugees successful eastbound Jerusalem was acceptable ablaze overnight, days aft Israeli bulldozers demolished parts of the compound.
It was not known who started the fire. Israeli settlers were observed astatine nighttime looting the main gathering for furniture, said Roland Friedrich, the agency’s West Bank director. He said aggregate holes were chopped successful the fence.
Israel’s occurrence section said it sent teams to forestall the blaze from spreading. In May 2024, UNRWA said it was closing its compound aft settlers acceptable fires to its fence.
Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the agency, besides known arsenic UNRWA, told The Associated Press the incidental was the “latest onslaught connected the U.N. successful the ongoing effort to dismantle the presumption of Palestine refugees.”
UNRWA’s mandate is to supply assistance and services to immoderate 2.5 cardinal Palestinian refugees successful Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and eastbound Jerusalem, arsenic good arsenic 3 cardinal much refugees successful Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. But its operations were curtailed past twelvemonth erstwhile Israel’s Knesset passed authorities severing ties and banning it from functioning successful what it defines arsenic Israel, including eastbound Jerusalem.
Israel has agelong railed against the agency, accusing it of being infiltrated by Hamas and alleging that immoderate of its employees were progressive successful the 2023 onslaught that triggered Israel’s two-year warfare successful Gaza. UNRWA leaders person said they took swift enactment against the employees accused of taking portion successful the onslaught and person denied allegations that the bureau tolerates oregon collaborates with Hamas.
