Kibbutz Nir Oz has announced the return of Eliyahu (Churchill) Margalit for burial, marking a poignant moment for the community that once called him a beloved member. Margalit, remembered fondly as a man devoted to family, nature, and animals, was tragically killed in an attack led by Hamas on Israel two years ago, on October 7.

The Prime Minister’s Office of Israel, along with the Israel Defence Forces, confirmed the identity of Margalit, who was 75 at the time of his death. His body had been taken to Gaza following the attack, the Israeli military reported.

The kibbutz community expressed their sorrow in a heartfelt statement, saying, “We will always remember him as a kind-hearted man whose world was filled with family, kibbutz, nature, and animals.”

Margalit’s return for burial is a significant yet somber event, as it highlights the ongoing situation in Gaza, where 18 other deceased hostages remain. This development continues to underscore the complex and tragic realities faced by those affected by the conflict.

There are now 18 deceased hostages left in Gaza following the return of Margalit’s body.

Frustration has intensified in Israel over the delay in returning the bodies of remaining hostages, a condition outlined in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that went into effect last week.

Hamas has said that it handed over all of the hostage remains that it could access. Israeli intelligence has assessed that Hamas may not be able to find and return all the remaining dead hostages in Gaza.

Even so, Israel believes that Hamas does know the locations of some of the deceased hostages it claims are missing, according to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter, and Israel’s Foreign Minister has accused Hamas of trying to use them as bargaining chips.

Hamas’ armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, has previously called for help, saying on Wednesday that “significant efforts and special equipment” are needed to recover the bodies of the remaining hostages.

In that statement, al-Qassam Brigades said it has “abided by what was agreed upon and has handed over all the living captives in its possession and the corpses it could access.”

Ceasefire holds despite killings

For the moment, both sides appear to believe the ceasefire in Gaza is holding though not without coming under strain from the failure of Hamas to return all the bodies, the initially slow entry of aid into the enclave, and continued, if isolated, incidents of killings of Palestinians in Israeli strikes.

A Palestinian family travelling back to their home in the north of the Gaza were killed by the Israeli military on Friday after their vehicle crossed a line that marks Israel’s control under the ceasefire agreement, the spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal, told CNN.

The vehicle was carrying 11 civilians, including several women and children, Basal said. After coordinating with the United Nations, Gaza’s civil defense recovered on Saturday nine bodies, including four children and three women.

The bodies of two other children are missing, the civil defense said.

The Israeli military told CNN its troops “fired warning shots” after a “suspicious vehicle was identified crossing the yellow line” – a reference to the initial Israeli withdrawal line.

The military said the “vehicle continued to approach the troops in a way that caused an imminent threat to them.”

Hamas has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with such killings, but no retaliatory action was taken as of Saturday.

Israel has also allowed more aid to enter in recent days but aid groups are calling for the opening of more crossings to improve deliveries.

The World Food Programme said on Friday that it has not been able to bring enough food into Gaza because conditions are “extremely difficult”, including communities being on the move, the parlous road conditions, and the fact only two border crossings are open.

The Rafah border crossing, a key gateway that connects Gaza to Egypt, has yet to open.

The crossing was set to open to civilian traffic in both directions as part of the ceasefire agreement, but Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), said on Thursday that the date of the opening “will be announced at a later stage.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister said last week it could open on Sunday. But on Saturday, Netanyahu’s office said it would remain closed until further notice, adding that the crossing’s opening would be subject to Hamas meeting the terms of the ceasefire.

“Its opening will be considered depending on how Hamas fulfills its part in returning the hostages and implementing the agreed-upon outline,” a statement from his office said.

Negotiations on the crucial next stages of the ceasefire deal began in Egypt last week, an Israeli source and a regional official told CNN, with the talks focusing on the demilitarisation of Gaza, governance of the strip and the formation of an international force to help secure the enclave after two years of war.

A 20-point plan presented by the Trump administration to end the war in Gaza states that the enclave will be administered by a non-political technocratic group of Palestinians and an overseeing body called the ‘Board of Peace’ – set to be chaired by United States President Donald Trump.

An International Stabilisation Force (ISF) made up of troops from several countries will be constructed to secure the strip, according to the plan.

But even though Hamas dispatched its chief negotiator to Cairo for discussions over the Palestinian committee set to govern Gaza, the militant group remains vague over its disarmament and transfer of power.

And countries set to join the International Stabilisation Force are still negotiating its structure, with some asking for a mandate from the UN Security Council before joining.