Israel's Memorial Day began with conflicting reports about ceasefire negotiations. While Egyptian sources claimed a "significant breakthrough," Israeli officials quickly dismissed these reports as inaccurate, maintaining that disagreements remain over Hamas disarmament.
By mid-morning, a report from the Hostages' Families Headquarters warned that remains of 35 deceased hostages might become permanently unidentifiable due to decay.
Controversy erupted when Netanyahu stated there are "up to 24 living hostages" during a meeting, while his wife Sara was caught on camera whispering "fewer," causing distress among hostage families.
The government officially canceled its dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar after he announced his resignation, apparently to avoid a potential landmark Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
As evening fell, the Memorial Day ceremony at the Western Wall featured President Herzog and IDF Chief Zamir calling for national unity amid the ongoing war and hostage crisis, with the memorial siren sounding nationwide.