Gaza ceasefire live: JD Vance due in Israel as another hostage’s body returned | Israel
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Israel announced that the remains of a hostage returning from Gaza were detected
Israel has confirmed that the remains of a hostage held by Hamas in Gaza the day before belong to: Tal ChaimiPerson killed on October 7, 2023.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said:
Upon completion of the identification process… (the military’s) representatives informed the hostage’s family, Staff Sergeant Tal Chaimi, that their loved one had been extradited to Israel and the identification had been completed.
Chaimi, 41, commander of the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz defense militia, was killed in the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage. His body was taken to Gaza. They had four children, including one born after the attack.
Heartbroken but relieved, Tel Haimi is home after 745 days in Hamas captivity. 💔
Tal Haimi, 41, was killed defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7, 2023. His body was smuggled to Gaza and detained for more than 2 years.
A mechanical engineer and a member of the kibbutz’s response… pic.twitter.com/ZiubiwHEFo
– Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@IsraelMFA) October 21, 2025
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Israel is still waiting for Hamas to hand over the remains of the 15 dead hostages. 13 bodies have been released since the ceasefire began.
Mediators know Hamas is having difficulty locating all the dead, but the Israeli government believes the Palestinian militant group is making inadequate efforts.
Hamas says the devastation of war and the Israeli army’s control of certain parts of Gaza has slowed the handover process.
Vance will travel to Israel as another hostage’s body is returned
We are resuming our live coverage of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and diplomatic efforts to maintain it.
The 11-day ceasefire in Gaza was seriously undermined on Sunday after Israel launched deadly airstrikes and cut off all aid to the region “until further notice” following an attack reported by Hamas, which the militant group denies being involved in.
To ensure the continuation of the ceasefire and to discuss further implementation of the US-brokered plan, the US vice president J.D. Vance He will visit Israel later today.
The Israeli prime minister said in his speech to the Knesset on Monday. Benjamin NetanyahuHe was vague about what he would discuss with Vance, whose diplomatic visit to Israel runs through Thursday.
“We will talk about two things, primarily the security issues and the diplomatic opportunities we face,” Netanyahu said. “We will overcome the difficulties and seize the opportunities”
The fragile ceasefire agreement got back on track after Israel retrieved the remains of another hostage in Gaza and Israel allowed the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries to areas devastated by incessant Israeli bombardments. The UN spokesman did not say how much aid had arrived.
Israel had threatened to halt aid shipments on Sunday and Israeli forces had killed dozens of Palestinians in airstrikes in Gaza after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. Israel later said it was continuing to enforce the ceasefire that began on October 10.
Donald Trump He said on Monday that he would give Hamas a chance to “behave” or be “destroyed”.
Special representative of the US president Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared KushnerNetanyahu, who mediated the ceasefire agreement with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators, met with Netanyahu yesterday.
This came as Hamas negotiators met Egyptian mediators and Palestinian groups in Cairo. Negotiations on the second phase of the Trump plan will also include discussions on the eventual withdrawal of the IDF and the disarmament of Hamas, for which the militant group has expressed serious reservations.
