On October 15th, 2025, Israel confirmed that the fourth body handed over by Hamas overnight was not an Israeli hostage, but identified by Israeli sources as a Palestinian resident of Jericho named Khalil Duas. This confirmation aligns with reports from Palestinian sources in the West Bank and a statement from Hamas's military wing spokesman, Abu Abedida, who had initially claimed the body was an abducted Israeli soldier. The body was reportedly found during a tunnel operation in Jabalia. Senior Israeli officials stated that negotiations have not advanced to Stage B, emphasizing that Step A, the return of all bodies, must be completed first. Professional teams are reportedly discussing methods to locate missing individuals in Egypt. Meanwhile, Turkey dispatched 81 search and rescue personnel, along with equipment and vehicles, to the Gaza Strip on October 15th, 2025, to assist in locating bodies. The Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt remained closed today, a decision linked to sanctions against Hamas for the slow release of hostage bodies, according to an Israeli security official. Previous reports from October 15th, 2025, between 10:06 AM and 11:06 AM UTC, indicated Israeli forces arrested 15 Palestinians in the town of Nassar, northeast of Rafah, and reported two fatalities in Shuja'iyyeh, Gaza City, during an IDF assault. The IDF had also previously confirmed that one of the four bodies returned by Hamas overnight was not an Israeli hostage but a Gazan individual. Separately, the IDF announced the reopening of Zikim Beach near the northern Gaza Strip border to the public starting October 16th, 2025, a decision approved by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.
