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?”

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets across all 50 US states on Saturday, rallying under the banner of “No Kings” to express their opposition to President Donald Trump’s hardline policies. Organizers claimed that seven million people participated in demonstrations ranging from major cities like New York and Los Angeles to small towns in the heartland, including areas near Trump’s Florida residence.

In Washington, D.C., thousands gathered near the US Capitol—closed for a third consecutive week due to a government shutdown—chanting, “This is what democracy looks like!” Demonstrators carried colorful signs demanding protection of democratic values and called for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, a focal point of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda.

Many protesters criticized what they described as the president’s authoritarian tactics, including attacks on the media, political opponents, and undocumented immigrants. “I never thought I would live to see the death of my country as a democracy,” said 69-year-old retiree Colleen Hoffman, marching in New York. “The cruelty of this regime, the authoritarianism—I just can’t stay home and do nothing.”

Creative and symbolic protests included a giant balloon of Trump depicted in a diaper in Los Angeles, while in Houston, signs called to “Fight Ignorance, not migrants,” highlighting the city’s large immigrant population. Some protesters even waved flags inspired by the pirate-themed anime “One Piece,” whose skull logo has become a global symbol in anti-government protests.

Though largely peaceful, clashes occurred in downtown Los Angeles late Saturday, where police used tear gas and nonlethal rounds to disperse a group of about a hundred agitators who employed lasers and bright flashing lights against officers. The Los Angeles Police Department said a dispersal order was issued and did not report any arrests.

Trump responded to the protests with a series of provocative AI-generated videos posted on his Truth Social platform, showing himself as a king piloting a fighter jet that drops what appeared to be feces on anti-Trump protesters. His allies, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, dismissed the rallies as “Hate America” protests, accusing participants of aligning with Marxists, socialists, anarchists, and extremist left-wing groups—a characterization protesters and observers mocked.

“Look around! If this is hate, someone needs to go back to grade school,” said Paolo, a 63-year-old protester in Washington, amid chants and songs. Others acknowledged the deep divisions within American politics. “Right-wingers say they hate us. I don’t care,” said Tony, a 34-year-old software engineer.

Civil rights advocates emphasized the protesters’ core message. Deirdre Schifeling of the American Civil Liberties Union said, “We are a country of equals, governed by laws that apply to everyone, and we will not be silenced.” Leah Greenberg, co-founder of the Indivisible Project, condemned the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-led cities including Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Portland, and Memphis, viewing it as an intimidation tactic against peaceful demonstrators.

While official attendance numbers varied, with New York authorities estimating over 100,000 at one protest and Washington’s crowds numbered between 8,000 and 10,000, the widespread turnout underscored growing public frustration with the current administration and the country’s political polarization.

The military on Tuesday took over power in Madagascar after the parliament impeached President Andry Rajoelina. This was as a result of weeks of anti-government protests.

There were celebrations on the streets of the capital after the commander of the CAPSAT military unit, which joined the demonstrators over the weekend, announced that it was in charge.

The presidency denounced “a clear act of attempted coup” and insisted that Rajoelina, in hiding, reportedly out of the country, “remains fully in office”.

Rajoelina, 51, had late Monday refused growing demands to step down from the protest movement that started on September 25 over power and water shortages, and developed into a campaign against the president and ruling elite.