Israel Emergency Overview
ISRAEL EMERGENCY FUND
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The Latest
Updated October 23, 2025
October 7 War, Day 748, 13 hostage bodies remain in captivity
Gaza Ceasefire
- The ceasefire in Gaza is holding. As agreed, the IDF currently maintains control of around half the area of the Strip, with Hamas controlling the other half (despite its severely depleted resources and capabilities).
- The Hamas-controlled area runs along the coastal strip and is divided from the Israel-controlled zone by the “Yellow Line.”
- On Sunday, in a major breach of the ceasefire, two IDF soldiers were killed and one severely injured in Rafah, an area under Israeli control. It occurred when their position was attacked by pro-Hamas forces with rocket-propelled grenades. Israel responded with widespread airstrikes across Gaza, claiming Hamas fighters had violated the agreement. Hamas denied involvement, stating it had no contact with the fighters in Rafah.
- The two fallen soldiers were Major Yaniv Kula, 26, and Staff Sergeant Itay Yavetz, 21, both from Modi’in.
- In a private meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner delivered a clear message from President Trump: Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks, but must avoid actions that could jeopardize the fragile ceasefire with Hamas. Meanwhile, President Trump publicly warned Hamas that if it violates the agreement, Israel would be free to respond immediately and forcefully, stating that he would have Israel “eradicate them within two minutes.”
- Despite the recent flare-up, Trump maintained that the ceasefire remains intact and expressed belief that Hamas leadership is committed to the deal.
- After more than a day of fighting, both sides agreed to resume the ceasefire. The breach notwithstanding, many in Israel noted that a similar incident occurred following the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in the north. Then, the terror group attacked Israeli forces days after the agreement went into effect. Israel retaliated heavily, signaling that zero tolerance towards any attacks or breaches of the deal. The ceasefire resumed quickly and remained in place afterwards.
- While the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen were not formally part of the deal between Israel and Hamas, the terror group announced that they would stop firing at Israel while the ceasefire is in place. As a result, there have been no sirens since the deal took effect.
- Against significant public objections, the Israeli government has officially approved renaming the current conflict to the “War of Revival” (Milchemet Hatkuma), moving away from the commonly used “October 7 War.” However, many Israelis noted that history shows that while governments can propose names, it’s usually the public that determines which one is used. After the Six-Day War in 1967 and the First Lebanon War in the 1980s, public consensus ultimately shaped the terminology.
Bodies of Hostages Released
- Despite stipulations in the ceasefire agreement that called on Hamas to release the bodies of all 28 deceased hostages it was holding within 72 hours, that deadline passed with just a small number of remains being returned.
- Hamas has repeatedly said that it does not know where the rest of the bodies are. However, under pressure from the mediators – the United States, Egypt, and Qatar – and other parties, the terror group has “found” additional hostages, and has returned one or two at a time.
- On Tuesday, the bodies of Tamir Adar, 38, and Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, were returned to Israel. Both were residents of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Tamar was killed while fighting Hamas terrorists on October 7, and his body was taken into Gaza. Arie, one of Nir Oz’s founders, was kidnapped alive and, according to the IDF, murdered in captivity in November 2023.
- The day before, the body of Tal Haimi from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak was returned to Israel for burial. Haimi was a member of the kibbutz emergency squad whose wife and three young children remained in their safe room on October 7 while he left to defend the Kibbutz. Haimi was killed battling terrorists and Hamas took his body to Gaza. His wife later gave birth to their fourth child.
- On Saturday night, Hamas returned the bodies of two other hostages. One was identified as Ronen Engel, 54. On October 7, Ronen volunteered as a medic in Kibbutz Nir Oz before he was murdered by Hamas terrorists who also kidnapped his wife, Karina and their daughters Mika and Yuval. Karina, Mika, and Yuval were released in November 2023. On Sunday, Mika posted on Instagram: “After 744 days, my father finally returned to Israel. It’s not what we hoped, it’s not what we wished for him, but the day is finally here.”
- The second body was of Sonthaya Oakkharasri, 30, a Thai farmer who was murdered on October 7 while working near Kibbutz Be’eri. He left behind a seven-year-old daughter.
- As of today, the bodies of 15 have been returned under the new agreement and 13 remain with Hamas.
- Egyptian and other international groups are assisting in trying to locate additional hostages’ remains. However, Israel claims that Hamas knows where numerous other bodies are located and are leveraging their return as a negotiating tactic.
Check the latest Times of Israel reports here.
Israel at War: An Overview
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