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Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to step up its offensives across the occupied West Bank after a series of bomb blasts involving buses rocked central Israel on Thursday.

"In light of the serious attempted attacks in the Gush Dan (central) area by Palestinian terrorist organisations against the civilian population in Israel, I have instructed the IDF (military) to intensify operations to thwart terrorism in the Tulkarem refugee camp and in all the refugee camps in Judea and Samaria" Katz said in a statement, using the biblical term for the West Bank. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the blasts.

Israeli police said that explosions rocked several buses in the central city of Bat Yam on Thursday evening in what they described as a "suspected terror attack", with an official saying that there were no injuries.

"Preliminary report - Suspected terror attack. Multiple reports have been received of explosions involving several buses at different locations in Bat Yam," the police said in a statement.

Large police forces had been deployed to search for suspects, the statement said.

"Police bomb disposal units are scanning for additional suspicious objects. We urge the public to avoid the areas and remain alert for any suspicious items," it added.

Tzvika Brot, the mayor of Bat Yam, said in a video statement that the explosions took place on two buses in two different parking lots.

"There are no injured in these incidents," Brot said, adding that the causes of the explosions were still unclear.

Television footage aired by some Israeli networks showed a completely burnt-out bus, while another was on fire.

Israeli media said that bus drivers countrywide had been asked to stop and inspect their own buses for additional possible explosive devices.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the opening of the 12th session of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah on Thursday, Al Jazeera reports.

“We will continue working to establish a ceasefire, guarantee the flow of humanitarian aid, and ensure that the State of Palestine assumes responsibility in Gaza, all while preserving the territorial unity of Palestine,” he stated.

Abbas emphasized that the overwhelming majority of the international community has rejected former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.

“We will continue our efforts in international forums, working with both our Arab and international allies, to push for the recognition of Palestine as a full member state of the United Nations,” he said.

Despite holding the presidency, Abbas remains an increasingly unpopular figure among Palestinians, partly due to his security cooperation with Israeli forces. Critics have also accused him of ineffectiveness in countering Israeli policies.

Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "procrastinating" on negotiations for the second phase of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, after Palestinian militants returned the bodies of four deceased hostages to Israel.

"The second phase negotiations have not practically begun, and we are ready to engage in them as stipulated in the agreement," Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanou said in a statement, adding that "Netanyahu is procrastinating regarding the second phase".

The United States' envoy to the Middle East said on Thursday that President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza was not about evicting Palestinians, and the conversation about Gaza's future was being shifted towards how to create a better future for Palestinians.

Trump proposed on February 4 the U.S. should take over Gaza, with Palestinians resettled in other places including Egypt and Jordan, a suggestion which caused an international outcry.

However, speaking at a Miami conference hosted by a non-profit linked to the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, U.S. envoy Steven Witkoff said that Trump's comments on Gaza were more about trying different solutions to those proposed over the previous 50 years.

He said that the war between Israel and Hamas has left much of Gaza destroyed and littered with unexploded ordnance, and it was impossible to see how people could return.

"It's going to take a lot of clean-up and imagination, and a great master plan, and that doesn't mean we're on an eviction plan, when the President talks about this," Steven Witkoff told the FII Institute event.

"It means he wants to shake up everyone's thinking, and think about what is compelling and what is the best solution for the Palestinian people.

"For instance, do they want to live in a home there, or would they rather have an opportunity to resettle in some sort of better place, to have jobs, upside and financial prospects," he added. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claims that 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz, whose body was among those returned today, was killed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad while in captivity.

His remains have been taken to Israel’s Forensic Institute for identification and to determine the cause of death.

On Wednesday, Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated that Lifshitz was killed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

Thousands of Israelis gathered in the Tel Aviv plaza dubbed "Hostages Square" and observed a minute of silence on Thursday after Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages from Gaza, according to news agency AFP.

The minute of silence took place at the start of a rally in solidarity with the families of the dead hostages, who Hamas say include three members of the Bibas family.

Chen Kugel, head of Israel’s Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, is set to deliver a statement shortly, likely regarding the identification of the four bodies handed over by Hamas this morning, Israeli news site The Times of Israel reports.

A body released by Hamas has been formally identified as that of Israeli hostage Oded Lifshitz, his family confirmed in a statement.

"We received with deep sorrow the official and bitter news confirming the identification of our beloved Oded's body," the Lifshitz family said in a statement issued by a group representing the families of those taken hostage on October 7, 2023.

The other three bodies are believed to be Shiri Bibas and her young sons, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who were taken captive during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Israel called Hamas as "monsters" on Thursday after the Palestinian group staged a handover ceremony in Gaza for the bodies of four hostages, who they said included Shiri Bibas and her two young sons.

"We are all enraged at the monsters of Hamas," Netanyahu said in a video message, vowing again to destroy the group.

Government spokesman David Mencer said "Hamas is a death cult that murders, that tortures and parades dead bodies".

Ahead of the handover, Hamas and members of other armed Palestinian groups displayed four black coffins on a stage erected on the sandy patch of ground.

A banner behind them depicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a bloodstained vampire.

Each casket bore a small photo of the deceased. White mock-up missiles nearby carried the message: "They were killed by USA bombs," a reference to Israel's top military supplier.

White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is set to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani today, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid.

Dermer is heading up Israel's negotiating team for the upcoming talks. Qatar, together with Egypt and the US, is mediating the negotiations.

The family of Oded Lifshitz has confirmed that he is among the four captives whose bodies were returned from Gaza. "We received with sorrow the official and bitter news about the identification of our beloved Oded," the family said in a statement via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

After 503 days of uncertainty, they expressed deep grief, saying, "We hoped and prayed for a different ending."

They vowed to begin their healing process, stating, "Our rehabilitation starts now and won’t end until the last hostage is returned."

Over 590,000 children in Gaza are set to receive polio vaccinations, but Save the Children warns this alone won’t address the crisis.

Ahmad Alhendawi, the charity’s Middle East regional director, said that while the campaign is a "crucial step," it falls short as many children remain malnourished, lack essential vaccines, and endure dire living conditions due to Israel’s war.

A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces in Gaza City’s eastern Shujayea neighbourhood.

The Israeli military claimed that "a number of suspects" approached soldiers, posing a threat.

It said troops fired warning shots, but one individual continued to pose "an immediate threat," prompting them to open fire.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday condemned Hamas's "limitless terror" after the Palestinian group in Gaza paraded the coffins of four dead hostages it handed over to Israel.

"Four coffins, presented on stage -- images that are unbearable," she wrote in a message on X. "Until the very end, the families of the hostages are exposed to Hamas's limitless terror. My thoughts are with them. Hopefully they are soon able to mourn their loved ones and bury them with dignity."

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Thursday appointing Ayman Mahmoud Salman Qandil as the new head of the Civil Affairs Authority, with the rank of minister, effective immediately.

Qandil replaces Hussein Al-Sheikh, who previously led the authority and now serves as Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Before his appointment, Qandil held the position of Undersecretary at the Civil Affairs Authority.

The first shipment of mobile homes is making its way to Gaza from Egypt as part of a ceasefire agreement with Israel, Egyptian media reports.

According to Al Qahera News, five trucks carrying 15 mobile homes and a bulldozer crossed the Egyptian side of the Rafah border, heading towards the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) terminal before entering Gaza.

The channel aired footage of the convoy in transit.

Palestinian authorities in Gaza have yet to confirm the shipment.

 The United Nations rights chief said on Thursday the parading of the bodies of hostages in Gaza is abhorrent and flies in the face of international law.

Hamas handed over the bodies of four hostages to the Red Cross on Thursday.

The coffins had been placed on a stage, with armed Hamas fighters in black and camouflage uniforms surrounding the area.

"Under international law, any handover of the remains of deceased must comply with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, ensuring respect for the dignity of the deceased and their families", UN rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

During the handover one militant stood beside a poster of a man standing over coffins wrapped in Israeli flags. It read "The Return of the War = The Return of your Prisoners in Coffins"

On Wednesday the Red Cross called for privacy and dignity for the deceased.

"We must be clear: any degrading treatment during release operations is unacceptable," the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in a statement.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited the leaders of Gulf Arab countries, Egypt, and Jordan for a meeting in Riyadh on Friday, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday.

Arab states have pledged to work on a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip's reconstruction to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to redevelop the enclave as an international beach resort after resettling its Palestinian inhabitants elsewhere.

Saudi Arabia said Friday's meeting would be unofficial and held within "the framework of the close brotherly relations that bring together the leaders", SPA said.

"As for joint Arab action and the decisions issued regarding it, it will be on the agenda of the upcoming emergency Arab summit that will be held in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt," SPA added, referring to plans for an emergency Arab summit on March 4 to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Trump has called for Egypt and Jordan to take in resettled Palestinians from Gaza, a suggestion they both rejected. 

A convoy transporting the bodies of Israeli captives has arrived at Israel’s National Forensic Institute, Israeli news publication Haaretz reports.

A newly surfaced video shows Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the detained director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, in shackles- a sight condemned by his family.

This marks the first time he has been seen since his arrest in December last year.

The footage broadcast by Israeli media of our father, Dr. Husam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, is yet another form of psychological terrorism, adding to the torture he has endured over the past two months. It also reflects clear media distortion through the…

— Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya د.حسام أبو صفية (@HussamAbuSafiya)

������'s sister news site al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians early Thursday morning during raids on towns, refugee camps, and several neighbourhoods in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

This comes as the Israeli military has sustained its weeks-long offensive across several areas in the northern occupied West Bank, including Jenin and its refugee camp, along with Tulkarem and the Nur Shams refugee camp, displacing thousands of residents.

Several Israeli right-wing lawmakers have likened Hamas and Palestinians to animals, Nazis, and the Biblical Amalek following the return of the bodies of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, as well as Oded Lifshitz, The Times of Israel reports.

Israeli politician Itamar Ben Gvir called for Hamas to be brought to "the gates of hell" in response to the handover.

"Remember these moments—the sorrow over innocent bloodshed, the jubilation of beasts of prey, the thirst for blood. We must not allow these Nazis to continue to live. It is our historical duty to our children not to surrender," Ben Gvir declared.

He further insisted, "The Nazis deserve no humanitarian aid. No fuel. No electricity. No caravans. No bulldozers. No ceasefire, no withdrawal—only the gates of hell!"

Amichai Eliyahu, a member of Ben Gvir’s far-right party and former heritage minister, echoed the rhetoric by citing a Biblical verse commanding the Israelites to "blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heavens."

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is heading to Saudi Arabia, state TV reported on Thursday, and is expected to discuss Gaza developments while there.

Arab states plan to discuss a post-war plan for Gaza reconstruction, possibly to counter US President Donald Trump's proposal to redevelop the strip under U.S. control.

Three Palestinians were killed on Wednesday by Israeli forces in the al-Faraa camp near Tubas in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian state news agency WAFA reported.

Security forces told WAFA the three people were killed after the Israeli military fired bullets and shells at their home.

The Israeli army said in a statement on Wednesday that the three people were "wanted terrorists who sold weapons for terror purposes".

They said two other individuals were detained.

Wednesday's incident comes as Israel continues with a weeks-long offensive that has demolished houses and torn up vital infrastructure in refugee camps in the West Bank.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to leave their homes in refugee camps in the West Bank due to the large-scale Israeli operation which began in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on January 21.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog mourned the deaths of four hostages whose bodies were returned on Thursday, believed to include members of the Bibas family, who have become symbols of the ordeal.

"Our hearts -- the hearts of the entire nation -- lie in tatters," Herzog said in a statement released after Hamas handed over the bodies to the Red Cross.

Hamas has stated that it aimed to keep Israeli captives alive but blamed their deaths on Israel’s military actions under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.

In a statement following the handover of four Israeli captives’ bodies, Hamas claimed it had "preserved the lives of the occupation prisoners," provided them with what was available, and "treated them humanely," but alleged that the Israeli army was responsible for their deaths along with those holding them.

"Criminal Netanyahu is crying today over the bodies of his prisoners who returned to him in coffins, in a blatant attempt to evade responsibility for their killing in front of his audience," Hamas added.

Addressing the families of the deceased captives- Shiri Bibas, her sons Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz- Hamas said: "We would have preferred your sons to return to you alive, but your army and government leaders chose to kill them instead of bringing them back."

Israel says it has received remains of captives handed over by Hamas as part of Gaza ceasefire, news agency The Associated Press reports.

More updates to come.

The bodies of Israeli hostages Shiri Bibas, her two young sons Ariel and Kfir Bibas, and Oded Lifshitz are set to be returned to Israel on Thursday as part of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.

The four were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October and have been held in Gaza since.

At the time of the attack, Kfir Bibas was just nine months old when he, his four-year-old brother, and their parents were taken captive from Kibbutz Nir Oz- one of several communities near Gaza overrun by attackers.

In November 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, though Israeli authorities never officially confirmed their deaths.

Even as the handover neared, some still held out hope that they were alive.

In Israel, preparations are underway for the return of the four captives’ bodies.

Initially, the remains will be handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in southern Gaza before being transferred to Israeli forces in the region.

The military has stated that a brief ceremony will be held before the bodies are transported to Israel for identification at a medical forensic centre.

Israeli media reports suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been making security arrangements to attend the handover. However, he ultimately decided against it late last night, though the reason remains unclear.