Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 16, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 16, 2025
Government hostage envoy tells families that Israel will increase pressure on Hamas to hand over remaining bodies
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hostage point man Gal Hirsch attends a meeting of the Knesset National Security Committee, September 28, 2025. (Noam Moskowitz, Office of the Knesset Spokesperson)
The government’s point man on the hostages, Gal Hirsch, has told the families of the remaining deceased hostages that Hamas is set to face increased pressure to hand over the remaining bodies.
He told the families that he would not elaborate on the matter at this stage.
Earlier this evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with close advisers to discuss potential steps that Israel could take to pressure Hamas to hand over the remaining 19 bodies.
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