The decision reflects a transition away from a state of high-intensity warfare, as the U.S.-brokered cease-fire in Gaza holds.

The set of remains handed over to Israel on Tuesday were those of Itay Chen, the final remaining American Israeli hostage, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Israel's military gave CBS News a rare look deep inside Gaza, where many questions still hang over the ruins of war and the future of 2 million Palestinians.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday that Israel will declare its border with Egypt a closed military zone in an effort to combat smuggling. Israel has complained of smugglers in Egypt and Israel using drones to smuggle weapons and other restricted items from Sinai,

Rule of engagement. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to turn part of the border with Egypt into a closed

Perhaps this is why they are shooting the messenger right now, because it holds a mirror to Israeli society,” said the head of the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel.

Health officials in Gaza have said identifying the remains handed over by Israel is complicated by a lack of DNA testing kits. Israel has not disclosed how many bodies it is holding or where they were recovered, but has been returning 15 for each set of hostage remains handed over.

The defense deal is going forward at a time when many other democracies have cut back on their defense relations with Israel due to the war in Gaza. The Israel-India Joint Working Group (JWG) convened on Tuesday for its annual meeting,