Israel tells mediators that Gaza terror groups can reach body of last hostage — report

Israel has told mediators that Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad know how to reach the remains of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, 24, the last hostage held in the Gaza Strip, Israeli television reported Friday.

According to Channel 12 news, a delegation led by the government’s hostage point man Gal Hirsch traveled to Cairo on Thursday and demanded action from mediators to ensure the terror groups retrieve Gvili’s body and return it to Israel.

An Israeli source cited by the network said the talks in the Egyptian capital also addressed the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which his administration is seeking to declare a transition to in the coming weeks.

Mediators reportedly indicated to the Israeli delegation that Hamas is “showing interest” in standing by the ceasefire-hostage deal, and wants to move to the next stage, including disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza.

In official statements, however, Hamas has insisted on retaining its weapons.

“Either they agree or we’ll separate them from their weapons. We won’t let a threat to the State of Israel remain in Gaza,” the Israeli source added.

Also Friday, mediators Egypt and Qatar, along with six other Muslim-majority countries, said they were concerned about Israel stating it would open a one-way crossing for Palestinians to exit the Strip.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates “expressed their deep concern regarding the statements issued by the Israeli side concerning the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing in one direction with the aim of transferring residents of the Gaza Strip to” Egypt, they said in a joint statement.

The ministers voiced “their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land” and said they were against “compelling any resident of the Gaza Strip to leave.”

They urged for the crossing to be opened in both directions. The first phase of the US-brokered hostage-release ceasefire deal that came into effect in October called for the crossing to be opened for medical evacuations and for travel to and from Gaza.

Israel announced on Wednesday that it will reopen the Rafah crossing in the coming days for the exit of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt, though Cairo denied it was coordinating with Jerusalem on renewing operations at the facility.

Israel had previously said the crossing would remain shuttered until Hamas fulfills its part in the deal, including returning all the hostages held in Gaza.

As part of the effort to move to the next phase of the deal, the US ambassador to the United Nations confirmed late Friday that he would visit Israel in the coming days as part of a trip to the Middle East.

A statement from Ambassador Mike Waltz’s office said he would travel to Jordan and Israel between December 6 to December 10, during which he will stress “the United States’ commitment to advancing regional stability, implementing President Trump’s 20-Point Plan for Gaza, and supporting the objectives of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, which establishes the way forward for the region.”

In Israel, Waltz will hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog “to advance US-Israel cooperation at the United Nations and discuss shared priorities for regional security and humanitarian aid,” according to the statement.

His itinerary in Israel also includes visits to the Kerem Shalom Crossing with Gaza and the Coordination and Monitoring Mechanism for Gaza in Kiryat Gat.

In Jordan, Waltz is scheduled to meet with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, with the US statement citing the monarchy’s “critical role in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

“Ambassador Waltz will also engage with humanitarian organizations to assess ongoing efforts to deliver life-saving assistance to those in need,” the statement said.

Despite talk of moving on to the next phase, violence continued in the Strip where on Friday the military said troops killed a terror operative who approached them in the northern part of the enclave.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, two terror operatives “carrying suspicious objects” were identified by troops of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

The operatives approached the forces stationed in northern Gaza, “in a way that posed an immediate threat,” the IDF said.

The Israeli Air Force then struck the pair, “to remove the threat,” the military said, adding that “one of the terrorists was eliminated.”

Meanwhile, the IDF said loud blasts reported across central Israel on Friday were the result of military activity in Gaza.

The booms were reported as far away as the Tel Aviv area, some 60 kilometers (38 miles) away.

Amid the ongoing ceasefire, the IDF has been demolishing Hamas tunnels and sites in areas of the Strip under Israeli military control.

Meanwhile, an Israeli-backed, anti-Hamas militia announced Friday that it had appointed a new leader.

Ghassan al-Dahini, a deputy of Yasser Abu Shabab, has taken over the slain Gazan tribal leader’s eponymous Israeli-backed militia, the group, which goes by “the Popular Forces,” said Friday.

The Abu Shabab group, which operates in an IDF-controlled area of southern Gaza, posted a video on a Facebook page affiliated with it showing Dahini in military fatigues inspecting a formation of troops in gear.

خير خلف لخير سلف

قائد القوات الشعبية الجديد ” غسان الدهيني ” يتسلم مهامه ويقوم بزيارات تفقدية لجهاز مكافحة الإرهاب.

القوات الشعبية – قطاع غزة pic.twitter.com/O0gboijJ2I

— Yasser Abu Shabab-Popular (@yasserpopular) December 5, 2025

The group also posted a video of troops praying in memory of Abu Shabab, with a caption calling for recruits to join the group while vowing to keep fighting “until you’re freed from Hamas.”

Abu Shabab was killed Thursday as a result of what Israeli defense officials said was an “internal clash.”

Without claiming responsibility for the killing, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Interior Ministry threatened Friday that Palestinians who work with Israel will meet a similar fate to Abu Shabab, urging “traitors” to turn themselves over to the terror group’s security apparatus.

“We call on collaborators… to turn themselves over immediately, before it’s too late,” the Hamas ministry said in a statement, adding that this would help “alleviate” legal procedures against them.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s Palestinian Tribal Committee reiterated its support for Hamas’s crackdown on accused collaborators and commends the ministry for “opening the door of repentance.”

The committee, which comprises representatives of several Gaza clans, said Abu Shabab militia acts as “the guard dogs and mercenaries of the occupation.” The committee also praised the Tarabin clan, from which Abu Shabab hailed, for taking the “national position” and disowning him.

As it reasserts itself on its side of the Gaza ceasefire line, Hamas has killed dozens of people it accuses of collaborating with Israel, residents have told The Times of Israel.

While Hamas does not announce these actions on its official social media accounts, Telegram accounts linked to it published several videos of violence against Gaza residents — including public executions, shots to the legs and beatings with stone blocks — in ostensible punishment for alleged crimes including stealing aid, using drugs and collaborating with Israel.