‍ Initial progress in teh release of hostages held by Hamas has slowed, with the return⁤ of ⁤bodies lagging behind the release of living⁣ captives. While Hamas freed the last 20 living hostages by the⁢ agreed-upon deadline of 9:00 AM GMT on October 13, 2023, only ten of the 28 bodies held by the group have been returned as of October 18, 2023.
⁤

Search and Rescue Team awaits Access to Rafah

A team of 81⁢ members from Afad, the Turkish disaster management agency, is positioned to enter the Rafah border enclave to aid in the search for remains.A⁢ Turkish official stated on ⁤October 13, 2023, that the⁤ team is prepared to conduct search and rescue operations in damaged areas, including the recovery of both⁣ Israeli and Palestinian victims. Reuters reported ⁤ on this readiness.

Restricted Access and Border Reopening

⁢ Despite the truce, access to Gaza remains heavily restricted by israel. The ceasefire⁢ agreement stipulated ⁤the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Palestinian territory, but as of october 18, 2023, it remains closed. Al Jazeera reported on ‍the continued closure of the Rafah crossing on October 15, 2023.

⁣On October 15,2023,Israel announced its intention to ⁢reopen the Rafah border ⁢on October‍ 16,2023,but did not specify whether the opening would be⁤ for individuals or humanitarian aid. The Times of Israel detailed this declaration.

Latest Hostage Returned Identified

The ⁤Israel Defense Forces (IDF)‍ announced on ⁣October 18, ⁣2023, ⁢that the hostage handed ⁣over by ⁣Hamas was 75-year-old Eliyahu Margalit, who was killed during ⁣the⁤ October 7, 2023, attack. the Jerusalem Post reported on the identification of ⁣Margalit.