Herald section
The latest reporting from across the Belfast Herald news desks.
Hamas transferred the 20 remaining living Israeli hostages to the Red Cross, and Israel released over 1,900 Palestinian detainees, including 250 serving life sentences for attacks on Israelis, under a ceasefire agreement.
Hamas returned the bodies of four of 28 deceased Israeli hostages, partially breaching a ceasefire agreement that required all remains to be returned within one day. The agreement acknowledged potential delays in locating all bodies.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, local authorities shut down aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which were the locations of shootings by the Israeli military that killed over 2,600 people seeking food aid.
Saleh al-Jafarawi, a Palestinian journalist, was fatally shot in Gaza City on 12 October 2025 by members of the Doghmush clan during clashes with Hamas. The incident occurred amid a ceasefire agreement and followed the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect hours after the Israeli war cabinet approved the agreement. The Israel Defense Forces completed their withdrawal to agreed lines within Gaza.
The Israeli cabinet has formally approved a ceasefire agreement, requiring the military to withdraw to an agreed line within Gaza within 24 hours. Hostage and prisoner releases are expected to begin in the coming days.