Israel has closed the Rafah crossing following Hamas's alleged violation of a ceasefire agreement, according to Sky News. The group reportedly returned only 4 of the 48 expected hostage bodies. Daniel Perez z"l was identified as the final fallen hostage returned by Hamas yesterday, October 13th, 2025, by the Israeli forensic unit. Over the past hour, Egyptian construction equipment has begun massing in North Sinai, preparing for deployment into Gaza to commence reconstruction and debris clearance, as reported by EGYOSINT. The IDF issued an urgent warning to Gaza Strip residents over the past hour, stating that approaching IDF forces in specified areas is extremely dangerous. These areas include Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahia, and Al-Shuja'iyya in northern Gaza, as well as the Rafah crossing area and the Philadelphia axis in southern Gaza. The IDF's warning, communicated through Avichay Adraee, also prohibits movement towards Israeli territory and approaching the buffer zone. This follows previous reports from October 14th indicating Israel's refusal to open the Rafah crossing for aid due to Hamas's failure to return all deceased hostages' bodies. Mediators had informed Israel that a number of abducted individuals were expected to be transferred on the evening of October 14th. Previous reports from October 14th highlighted that Israel had demanded maximum effort from Hamas to locate and return all deceased hostages' bodies, considering it an essential part of any agreement. An Israeli senior official had stated on October 14th that Hamas initially underestimated Israel's demand regarding the return of bodies but later realized the rigidity of Israel's stance. The Red Cross has cited extensive destruction in Gaza as a difficulty in recovering bodies.
