Donald Trump has threatened to “eradicate” Hamas “if they’re not good”. Meanwhile, the latest hostage body returned by the group has been identified by Israel. Follow live below.
Tuesday 21 October 2025 08:52, UK
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Aid deliveries resumed again yesterday after Israel briefly halted them on Sunday in response to what it claimed was an attack on its troops behind the agreed withdrawal line.
The pictures below show aid trucks rolling into Gaza this morning.
However, an Israeli security official also reaffirmed that the key border crossing of Rafah would remain closed “until further notice”.
This weekend, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt had touted that the only crossing not controlled by Israel could reopen for individuals yesterday. This was quickly denied by the Israeli government, however.
Israel had closed the crossing – after briefly reopening it – in response to Hamas’s delayed handover of hostage bodies.
The number of returned hostage bodies has now increased to 13 by Israel’s count as the body of 41-year-old father-of-four Tal Haimi was returned last night (see our post at 6.51am).
Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas should have returned all remaining 48 hostages, dead and alive, by last Monday, however.
At this point, 15 bodies are still missing.
As the post below this one explains, the group’s de-facto leader, Khalil al Hayya, has reiterated claims that Hamas will return all bodies but needs more time.
So why is Hamas taking so long to return the bodies?
In short, the problem is that…
Hamas has previously said recovering the remaining bodies could take time, as not all burial sites are known.
Its armed wing says it has returned all the bodies it could reasonably recover and will require special equipment to hand over the remaining ones.
The Red Cross said the difficulties of finding bodies amid Gaza’s rubble will cause delays.
“That’s an even bigger challenge than having the people alive being released. That’s a massive challenge,” said Christian Cardon, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Moreover, Hamas has told mediators that some bodies may be in areas now controlled by Israel – you can see the current situation in the map below.
How long will the process take?
The handover process has s far taken about 10 days. The ICRC previously said it could take days or weeks – and there was a possibility some may never be found.
An international task force will help to locate the bodies of the deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing, previously said.
What has been Israel’s response?
The Israeli Hostages Families Forum has previously called for the suspension of the ceasefire agreement, saying “Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response“.
Israel has kept the Rafah crossing closed – after it briefly appeared to have reopened it due to the ceasefire agreement – and reduced aid flow into Gaza.
Watch: Trauma and sorrow in Israel as hostage funerals held
Hamas de-facto leader Khalil al Hayya has once more reiterated the group’s claims that it’s willing to hand over the 15 remaining dead hostages but needs more time and heavy equipment.
“We are all certain, determined, and resolved to continue with this agreement until its end,” al Hayya told Egyptian broadcaster Al Qahera News, published last night.
“We are ready to recover and hand over all the bodies [of the hostages] according to the agreement; we have no desire to keep anyone with us,” he added.
“Let them return to their relatives, and our martyrs will also return and be buried with dignity.”
He said that it’s difficult to reach the bodies because some are under the ground and beneath buildings.
Hamas had stressed last week that it would require additional machinery to locate the remaining deceased hostages.
Israel argues, however, that the group can return the remaining bodies faster than it claims. In response, it has refused to increase aid flows to the agreed level and has kept a key border crossing in Rafah closed.
Watch: Hamas tell Sky News they’re committed to ceasefire
The Emir of Qatar has also weighed in on the state of the ceasefire agreement this morning and notably appeared to be blaming Israel for recent tensions.
During the opening of the Shura Council, Qatar’s legislative body, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said his country condemns Israel’s violations and practices in the Palestinian territories and its continuous violation of the Gaza ceasefire
Qatar was one of the mediators of the ceasefire, alongside the US, Egypt and Turkey. It remains an influential power in negotiations as it maintains diplomatic channels with both Israel and Hamas.
Hamas’s de-facto leader, Khalil al Hayya, spends most of his time in Qatar, where he was targeted by an Israeli airstrike last month that killed his son.
Both Palestinians and Israelis continue to mourn the deaths of loved ones despite a ceasefire deal being agreed earlier this month.
At least 57 Palestinians have been killed between Sunday and Monday midday, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said yesterday.
This came after Israel briefly resumed airstrikes on Sunday over the killing of two Israeli soldiers in an attack.
Funerals were held yesterday in Israel and Gaza for some of those killed, as these images show.
The US president weighed in on the situation yesterday, which he called “a little situation with Hamas.”
He promised it would be “taken care of very quickly”, however.
He adds that “we” will “eradicate” Hamas if the group does not “behave”.
When asked by a reporter to clarify who would do this, Trump says US troops would not get involved on the ground, and suggests other nations, including Israel, would take military action.
As had been anticipated in the previous days, US vice president JD Vance has embarked on a trip to Israel..
Prior to his visit, he said he would “go and check on how things are going” with the ceasefire.
The agreement between Israel and Hamas has come under strain as both sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaching its terms.
Israel briefly resumed airstrikes last weekend after its troops reported to have come under attack. Meanwhile, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza yesterday reported over 50 deaths in the last 24 hours.
‘Message of calm’
Vance tried to calm the waves on Sunday, saying “there’s going to be fits and starts” with regard to the ceasefire.
He said there were about 40 different cells of Hamas and no security infrastructure yet in place to confirm its disarmament.
“Some of those cells will probably honour the ceasefire. Many of those cells… will not,” he said.
“Before we actually can ensure that Hamas is properly disarmed, that’s going to require… some of these Gulf Arab states, to get forces in there, to actually apply some law and order and security keeping on the ground.”
Yesterday, Benjamin Netanyahu already met with Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who represented the US in ceasefire negotiations.
Sally Lockwood, our correspondent in Jerusalem, said the US was looking to deliver a “message of calm” to all parties.
Israel has identified the body of the dead hostage returned by Hamas last night.
Tal Haimi, 41, was volunteering as the chief of the civil defence unit of the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz when it came under attack from Hamas on October 7 2023.
He was shot while defending the kibbutz and his body was taken hostage.
Notably, the youngest son of the father-of-four was born seven months after his death.
His widow told Sky News last week that Haimi decided to head out with his small civil defence team that morning despite his wife’s circumstances because he felt it was his duty to protect the family, the community and the country.
Watch: ‘Feels like a reality show’: Hostage widow describes wait for husband’s body
The casket with Haimi’s remains had arrived at a forensic institute in Tel Aviv around 9pm last night.
“The Government of Israel shares in the profound grief of the Haimi family and of all the families of the fallen hostages,” the office of Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement after Haimi was identified.
Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Gaza and the latest developments in the Middle East.
Last night, Hamas handed over another deceased hostage, raising the count of returned bodies to 13, by Israel’s tally.
Today, US vice president JD Vance is expected to make an appearance in Israel for talks on the fragile ceasefire agreement. He is joining Donald Trump’s main Gaza negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who arrived yesterday.
The agreement continues to be under strain as Israel and Hamas once more accused each other yesterday of breaking the terms of the deal.
Trump warned that Hamas will be “eradicated” unless it sticks to the terms of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Thanks for following. We’ll be back soon with more updates from the Middle East.
Until then, here’s a rundown of what’s happened today;
In the UK, Israeli football team Maccabi Tel Aviv has been at the centre of a political row over a decision by local officials in Birmingham to ban its fans from attending a match against Aston Villa next month.
Now the club has announced it has decided not to sell tickets for the game to its supporters, even if UK authorities reverse their decision.
The move has been taken because of safety concerns, Sky News understands.
You can read more on the story below here:
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free