Hamas is expected to return two abducted individuals tonight, according to a senior official in the security system speaking to News 14. This development occurs amid ongoing disputes regarding the return of bodies, following Israel's statement that the fourth body handed over by Hamas last night did not belong to an Israeli hostage. Officially, Israel has stated that the body returned to Israel did not belong to any hostage. However, a source cited by Al Jazeera claimed the body was that of an ostensible Israeli soldier captured in May 2024 in Jabalia, a claim the military previously denied. Palestinian media identified the man as Khalil Dawas, a West Bank Palestinian detained by Israel in the past, who the Kan public broadcaster reports operated alongside security forces in tunnel searches and was killed by Hamas a year and a half ago. Senior Israeli officials reiterated yesterday that negotiations had not advanced to Stage B, emphasizing the necessity of completing Step A, which involves the return of all bodies. In separate incidents reported yesterday and earlier today, approximately 20 Hamas operatives were arrested near the European hospital area in Gaza, found with around 50 SIM cards, and three additional individuals identified as observers were also arrested in the vicinity. Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa criticized Israel's justifications for actions in southern Syria as "ridiculous" on October 15th, 2025, questioning the expansion of Israeli protective justifications and drawing parallels to the 1967 occupation of the Golan. Amid the war, a practice of soldiers sending detained Palestinians to search buildings and tunnels before troops is commonplace but officially prohibited, though the IDF states it strictly prohibits using civilians as shields and has opened investigations into several such cases.
