Overview
- In an army briefing reported by Israeli media, the IDF for the first time put Gaza deaths at roughly 70,000 to 71,000, a shift toward long-cited figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry.
- The military says it is still separating combatants from civilians and maintains that about 25,000 of the dead were Hamas fighters, a claim not independently verified.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross confirmed delivery of 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, a step Israeli officials say fulfills a condition to move into phase two of the plan.
- Israel announced the Rafah crossing will reopen Sunday for limited passenger movement with Israeli and Egyptian security checks under EU oversight, primarily for some 42,000 Palestinians who left during the war.
- Gaza hospital officials and Hamas-linked authorities reported at least 22 to 30 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday, including hits on a police station and a tent area, which the IDF described as responses to truce violations.