Israel has received the bodies of two more citizens from Hamas as part of the ceasefire agreement. One was an elderly man who died in captivity, and the other was a soldier killed during the Hamas attack on October seven. In total, Hamas has returned the remains of fifteen Israelis, and more are expected. Israel also returned the bodies of fifteen Palestinians and has released over two thousand Palestinian prisoners as agreed. However, the Rafah crossing with Egypt remains closed for now because of security concerns. It was taken over in May during the fighting in Rafah, where many Hamas fighters were hiding. While Hamas says Israel is delaying aid and movement through the crossing, Israel believes it must ensure weapons do not flow into Gaza again. The country is still recovering from the brutal attacks that started this war and wants to bring back every hostage. Israel says it is committed to the ceasefire but needs guarantees of safety and the return of all captives.

Pray for Israel and Hamas to abide by the ceasefire agreements between them. Pray for peace and stability to prevail in the region (The Holy Bible, Psalm 55:18).

Pray for the LORD’s healing power upon all the victims of war between Israel and Hamas. Pray for the restoration of the lives and livelihoods of the people in the region (The Holy Bible, Psalm 147:14).

News Source: Al Jazeera

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