Updates: Hamas-Israel ceasefire holds

The Palestinian group has said that the return of the remaining dead captives “may take some time”, as some of their bodies are buried in tunnels destroyed or under the rubble of buildings demolished by the Israeli army, reported Al Jazeera, citing a statement.

“The bodies of the Israeli prisoners that the resistance was able to access were handed over immediately,” Hamas said in a statement.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into place last week, nine of the 28 deceased captives have been returned to Israel.

But the Palestinian group said that extracting the remaining bodies requires equipment and devices to remove the rubble, which are currently unavailable due to Israel’s ban on their entry.

“Therefore, any delay in the return of the bodies falls entirely on the Netanyahu government, which is obstructing and preventing the provision of the necessary capabilities,” the group said, reaffirming its commitment to the agreement and its “keenness to implement it”.

Samer Abdeljaber, the World Food Programme’s Middle East and North Africa director, has said the UN agency is using “every minute” of the ceasefire to ramp up its work in Gaza.

“We are scaling up to serve the needs of over 1.6 million people,” Abdeljaber said in a video shared on social media, adding that WFP hopes to get nearly 30 bakeries and 145 food distribution points operating.

“This is the moment to keep access open and make sure the aid keeps flowing,” he said.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that additional bodies of hostages held by Hamas were returned to Israel, but warned that further US-backed intervention could be necessary if the Palestinian group fails to uphold its ceasefire commitments.

France and Britain, in coordination with the United States, are working to finalise a UN Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the foundation for a future international force in Gaza, France said on Thursday.

With a shaky US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holding, planning has begun for an international force to stabilize security in the Palestinian enclave, two senior US advisers said on Wednesday. 

Speaking to reporters in Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said such a force needed a UN mandate to provide a strong foundation in international law and ease the process of getting potential contributions from countries.

"France is working closely with its partners on the establishment of such an international mission, which must be formalised through the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution," he said.

"Discussions, notably with the Americans and British, are ongoing to propose this resolution in the coming days."

Gaza’s Government Media Office has said that no more than 480 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip yesterday, highlighting ongoing limitations in humanitarian access amid the region’s deepening crisis, reported Al Jazeera, citing a statement.

It said that of those, three trucks transported cooking gas while another six brought diesel fuel into the Gaza Strip.

Those supplies were “designated for operating bakeries, generators, and hospitals, amid the acute shortage of these essential materials” due to Israel’s blockade and genocide, it said.

“We note that the quantities that entered remain very limited, representing only a drop in the ocean of urgent needs, and they do not meet even the minimum humanitarian and livelihood requirements of more than 2.4 million people in the Gaza Strip,” the office added, noting that at least 600 aid trucks are needed per day.

US President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to "go in and kill" Hamas if it keeps “killing people” in Gaza.

"If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them," Trump said on Truth Social.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva urged all parties to continue moving in the direction of a sustained lasting peace following a ceasefire in Gaza, saying it would benefit the entire region.

She said lowered tensions would be good news for the economies of Egypt and Jordan, where the IMF has programs, and Lebanon and Syria, which have asked for help and support from the global lender.

"It is important because everybody concerned encourages this direction of sustaining a lasting peace, and yes, it would benefit the region," she said. "There will be a peace dividend for everybody."

Georgieva said the IMF was working with Lebanon, which had requested a loan program. "I hope we will be able to come up with a program," she said, without providing further details.

Syria has asked for IMF support to rebuild its central bank and other institutions, and an IMF team had already been in the region.

"So when there is peace, there is also this benefit that those who are there to support you, it is easier, more viable for this support to come," she said.

Ireland's High Court struck down a decision by the Irish police not to investigate the legality of Airbnb operations in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, rejecting the argument that it did not have jurisdiction.

The ruling does not automatically trigger an investigation by police in Ireland, where Airbnb has its Europe and Middle East headquarters, but it obliges the Irish police to consider the matter afresh, the court heard.

The case was brought by Irish-Palestinian non-governmental organisation Sadaka, which asked police to investigate whether Airbnb had broken Irish law by operating in the settlements. It argued that the police decision not to investigate due to jurisdiction issues was "legally erroneous and irrational."

A lawyer representing the Irish police, Remy Farrell, conceded the case on Thursday and said the matter would be "considered afresh" by the respondents.

Airbnb did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Yemen's Houthis said that their Chief of Staff Muhammad Abd Al-Karim al-Ghamari, one of the most senior military officials of the Iran-backed group, was killed "while fulfilling his duties".

Without directly blaming Israel for his killing, Houthis said that the conflict with Israel had not ended. Israel will "receive its deterrent punishment for the crimes it has committed".

The Houthis had fired missiles towards Israel in what they said were acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.