Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Saturday that the Gaza war will not end until Hamas is disarmed and the territory is demilitarized.

His statement came as Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, handed over the remains of two more hostages under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement. The Red Cross received the remains late Saturday, which were then transferred to Israeli security forces.

The recovery of dead hostages remains a key issue delaying full implementation of the ceasefire’s first phase. Israel has linked reopening the Rafah crossing with Egypt to the return of all hostages’ remains.

Netanyahu emphasized that completing the ceasefire’s second phase—which includes disarming Hamas—is crucial to ending the conflict. “When that is successfully completed—hopefully peacefully, but if not, by force—then the war will end,” he said on Israeli Channel 14.

Hamas has resisted disarmament and is working to reassert control over Gaza since the ceasefire began.

Under the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas has released all 20 living hostages and the remains of 10 people, including Israelis and one Nepalese. Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and returned 135 Palestinian bodies in exchange.

Hamas says it needs more time and assistance to recover remaining bodies buried under rubble. The two bodies returned Saturday were reportedly recovered earlier that day.

Netanyahu indicated that the Rafah crossing’s reopening depends on Hamas fulfilling its part in returning hostages’ bodies. While the Palestinian mission in Cairo announced the crossing might open Monday for Gazans in Egypt, Netanyahu’s office later ordered it remain closed until further notice.

Hamas warned the closure would delay the transfer of remains.

Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, visiting northern Gaza, described the devastation as “a vast wasteland” and highlighted the huge challenges ahead, including providing food, rebuilding healthcare, and preparing for winter.

Despite the ceasefire, some violence continued. Gaza’s civil defense reported Israeli tank fire killed nine Palestinians from the Shaaban family. Israeli military said they fired warning shots at a vehicle approaching their position, perceiving it as a threat, and acted under the ceasefire terms.

Relatives mourned the victims, with one grandmother asking, “What did they do wrong?”

The deportation of the remaining 51 foreign nationals convicted and sentenced for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud, and related financial crimes in Lagos has been completed. 

This brings the repatriation of the 192 foreigners involved in the crimes to a successful close.

It was conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The deportation followed a sting raid on December 10, 2024, at Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where 759 suspects were apprehended after the EFCC received actionable intelligence exposing one of the largest foreign-led cybercrime and Ponzi scheme syndicates operating in Nigeria.

After months of investigation and prosecution, the 192 foreign nationals were convicted by the Federal High Court in Lagos under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. The court also ordered their deportation upon completion of their prison terms.

The deportees, comprising Chinese, Filipino, Tunisian, Malaysian, Timor-Leste, Pakistani, and Kyrgyz nationals, were airlifted in coordinated batches between mid-August and mid-October 2025 through multiple airlines.

The large-scale repatriation exercise began on August 15, 2025, and the successful deportation of the last batch of convicts marks the conclusion of one of Nigeria’s biggest transnational cybercrime crackdowns in recent years.

In an official statement, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede described the deportation as “a strong statement of Nigeria’s resolve to rid its cyberspace of transnational criminal networks.”

“This milestone underscores our commitment to protecting Nigeria’s digital and financial ecosystem. The EFCC, under my leadership, will continue to act swiftly on intelligence, prosecute offenders, and recover proceeds of crime in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s anti-corruption drive,” Olukoyede said.

The EFCC Chairman also commended the Nigerian Immigration Service and the Nigerian Correctional Service for their seamless cooperation during the exercise, noting that the inter-agency collaboration ensured the safe custody, prosecution, and eventual repatriation of all convicts.

According to the EFCC’s deportation records, the first batch of 42 convicts, comprising Chinese and Filipino nationals, departed Nigeria on August 15, 2025, followed by several subsequent flights throughout August and September.

The final batch of 51 convicts, including 50 Chinese nationals and one Tunisian, was repatriated on October 16, 2025, bringing the total number deported to 192.

The Commission confirmed that the deported convicts were involved in a wide range of cyber fraud activities, including identity theft, online romance scams, Ponzi investment schemes, and digital training for cybercrime operations under the cover of a company, Genting International Co. Limited.

The EFCC noted that the syndicate’s activities posed a serious threat to Nigeria’s national security and financial integrity, adding that recovered digital devices and servers from the raid provided critical evidence during prosecution.

Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, the Arise Television anchor who was killed during a robbery incident in Abuja, has been laid to rest.

She was buried on Saturday in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

In attendance were former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, some chieftains of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and other dignitaries.

Her funeral mass took place at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu.

Speaking at the event, the former Anambra State governor expressed sympathy for the deceased’s family, stressing that death is inevitable.

Obi said:

“We cannot question God. When I heard of her death, I didn’t know that she was from Agulu, even before I tweeted about it.

“Our coming here is to console you, but we know that this loss is a huge one. It is the wish of God, and none of us can question Him. Please do remember her and her immediate family in your prayers.”

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