Met Police to stop investigating non-crime hate incidents after Graham Linehan ‘anti-trans’ probe dropped

The Metropolitan Police has announced it will stop investigating “non-crime hate incidents” following the decision to take no further action against Father Ted creator Graham Linehan.

The 57-year-old Irish comedy writer was arrested at Heathrow in September on suspicion of inciting violence over three social media posts concerning transgender issues.

His arrest sparked controversy, with criticism from politicians and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

The head of the Met Police had previously stated officers were in an “impossible position” when dealing with statements made online.

A spokesperson for the police force said: “We understand the concern around this case.

“The commissioner has been clear he doesn’t believe officers should be policing toxic culture war debates, with current laws and rules on inciting violence online leaving them in an impossible position.

“As a result, the Met will no longer investigate non-crime hate incidents. We believe this will provide clearer direction for officers, reduce ambiguity and enable them to focus on matters that meet the threshold for criminal investigations.”

Non-crime hate incidents are incidents that do not count as crimes but are perceived to be motivated by hatred towards certain characteristics such as race or gender.

The Met spokesperson continued: “These incidents will still be recorded and used as valuable pieces of intelligence to establish potential patterns of behaviour or criminality.

“We will continue to investigate and arrest those who commit hate crimes – allowing us to comply with statutory guidance while focusing our resources on criminality and public protection.”

Linehan said in a post on social media on Monday: “The police have informed my lawyers that I face no further action in respect of the arrest at Heathrow in September.

“After a successful hearing to get my bail conditions lifted (one which the police officer in charge of the case didn’t even bother to attend) the Crown Prosecution Service has dropped the case.”

He said he will be working to hold the police “accountable” over the incident, alongside the Free Speech Union, which plans to sue the Metropolitan Police for wrongful arrest.

“Throughout this probe, the police have behaved like activists, not impartial upholders of the law,” said the Free Speech Union in a post on X/Twitter.

“Rather than inviting Graham for an interview in September, the Met sent five armed police officers to arrest him at Heathrow airport,” they added.

“So, we’re not stopping here. Police forces cannot continue to suppress lawful free speech without facing consequences.”

Linehan earlier shared further details of the arrest on his blog. He claimed to have “been flagged” and “arrested at an airport like a terrorist”.

“The moment I stepped off the plane at Heathrow, five armed police officers were waiting. Not one, not two – five,” he wrote.

“They escorted me to a private area and told me I was under arrest for three tweets.”

He reshared the posts, which were originally posted in April, one of which called on people to “call the cops” on trans-identifying people and “if all else fails, punch him in the balls”.

Another post showed a crowd of people at a protest, many holding transgender and LGBT+ Pride flags, which he wrote over the top: “A photo you can smell.”

The third post he claimed had led to his arrest was in response to someone who commented under this photo, where he said: “I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F*** em.”

He claimed his belt, bag and devices were confiscated as he was shown to a small green-tiled cell with a bunk and silver toilet, and he was questioned about his posts, which he said “was a serious point made with a joke”.

Separately, Linehan has faced court action for allegedly harassing trans activist Sophia Brooks.

He has denied harassing her on social media between 11 and 27 October 2024 and also denied a charge of criminal damage to her mobile phone, to the value of £369, on 19 October 2024.

A trial got underway in September but has been adjourned.

Britain’s ‘most luxurious train’ to tour the UK this Christmas

A heritage train is set to tour the UK in the lead-up to Christmas, allowing passengers to wind through the British countryside in style.

Dubbed “Britain’s most luxurious train”, guests aboard the Northern Belle will travel in 1930s-style carriages, each bearing the name of a British castle or stately home.

Guests will be served a festive lunch while on board, with tickets starting from £395 per person.

The grand experience begins before setting foot on the train, as a red carpet will be laid out on the platform for arriving guests.

Once aboard, passengers will be welcomed with champagne and canapés such as caviar blinis, as they take in the restored interiors, designed to evoke the opulence of early 20th-century rail travel.

Passengers will then be seated for a seven-course festive lunch, with options including a Scottish salmon roulade, roasted white onion potage, a traditional turkey balloting plus goose fat roast potatoes and honey-glazed heritage carrots.

Passengers will also be served a choice of desserts, such as spiced apple and cranberry crumble tart or dark chocolate and hazelnut delice.

To finish off the dining experience, a curated selection of Britain’s artisanal cheeses, Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend tea and petit fours will be served.

One bottle of a sommelier-selected wine will be served per couple. Guests can also upgrade their journey to “Laurent-Perrier Class” for an additional £95 for more deluxe champagne and wine offerings.

For an extra £195 per passenger, the “Krug Class” includes a bottle of Krug Grand Cuvée champagne per couple and allocated seating in the “Duart” carriage, formerly used exclusively used by royals, or in “Glamis”, named after Queen Elizabeth’s childhood home.

Throughout the experience, musicians will be playing festive tunes, while the Northern Belle’s “onboard conjurer” will wander from table to table.

Northern Belle’s Christmas lunch tour will start with Norwich and Ipswich on 12 December, followed by London, Coventry, Birmingham, York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

It is hauled by a variety of locomotives, including heritage steam engines on certain dates.

The final Christmas lunch experience will happen in Manchester, Huddersfield and Leeds on 20 December.

Northern Belle says the journey is an “ideal way to celebrate Christmas” and is open to couples, groups of friends or family, or even travelling solo.

The luxury train company will also be celebrating Christmas with its “Historic Edinburgh at Christmas” service, as well as its “Historic York Christmas Markets” experience, whisking passengers away to the UK’s most festive destinations.

Read more: Sneak peak – Inside Belmond’s all-new luxury sleeper train

Prince Andrew has paid no rent on Royal Lodge for more than 20 years

Prince Andrew has not paid rent on his Royal Lodge for more than two decades, according to the tenancy agreement released by The Crown Estate.

The lease, which was sent to The Independent, follows calls for transparency over the royal’s residence, with focus returning to Andrew’s 75-year lease of the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge in Windsor after another week of scandal.

The agreement states that Andrew paid £1 million for the lease along with at least £7.5 million for refurbishments in 2005. He has paid only “one peppercorn (if demanded)” in rent per year since 2003.

Andrew and his family are allowed to live in the property until 2078. The latest revelation will pile pressure on the scandal-mired royal to give up the Royal Lodge, which sits on an estate of 98 acres in Windsor Great Park and is leased from the Crown Estate.

The beleaguered royal announced on Friday he will no longer be known as the Duke of York, following continued accusations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir is set to be released on Tuesday and contains more on allegations that they had sex on three occasions.

Prince Andrew, who has always stringently denied allegations involving Ms Giuffre.

On Monday, there were demands among some MPs for parliament to remove his titles, while pressure was also grew on the Estate to reveal more about the tenancy agreement amid heightening calls for him to move out.

Norman Baker, a royal author and former Liberal Democrat minister, said details of the contract should be made public to see if there is a possibility he could be moved out.

He told The Times: “All leases have some kind of break clause, so the public must know how he has been able to remain there, and on what terms he could be forced to leave.”

Speaking to the same outlet, royal author Andrew Lownie said: “I think it is important for transparency that the full details of that arrangement are made public and why the property – in effect public property – was only offered to him.”

In response to an inquiry on the issue, The Crown Estate sent The Independent a copy of the lease struck in 2003, on which Andrew paid £1m, and was required to carry out £7.5m-worth of refurbishment on the Grade II-listed property.

The contract can be forfeited by the Estate if any rent is not paid for 21 days, or if there is any breach of a tenant covenant, the contract states.

The document also states that the tenant must keep and preserve the grounds in good and proper order, and that the building be repainted every five years. The Crown Estate also has the right to inspect “upon reasonable notice”.

Some details about the agreement were already known through a National Audit Office (NAO) report in 2005, which said the decision on the lease was made as it was “appropriate in view of the overriding need to maintain close management control over Royal Lodge”.

The report said Andrew approached the Crown Estate over the property following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth’s mother.

At the weekend, ex-royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the BBC that Prince Andrew had a “cast-iron” deal to stay at Royal Lodge.

She said: “Should he be dislodged from Royal Lodge, where he lives, this large house in Windsor, well he has a pretty cast-iron tenancy agreement and that is difficult, the King has been trying to get him out.

“Andrew likes us all to believe he has a tendency to be rather too honourable. Well, I do think the honourable thing might be to say, I will relinquish not only my titles… but I will also relinquish this rather large home. But I don’t see that happening.”

The Crown Estate said it made the decision to share the copy of the lease on Monday, adding that the document contained information already available through the Land Registry and the NAO report.

The only exception was a “schedule of dilapidation”, it said, which it was now seeking to confirm if it could be shared without breaching security considerations.

It said the £7.5m in refurbishments, as set out in the contract, were completed in 2005.

Maccabi will decline any tickets offered to fans for Villa match

Maccabi Tel Aviv has said it will decline any tickets offered to their fans for their Europa League fixture against Aston Villa next month.

It comes as Keir Starmer’s government had been working with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to ensure fans from both sides could attend the fixture at Villa Park, Birmingham, on November 6.

In a statement released on Monday, the Israeli club said that a “toxic atmosphere” had put the safety of fans wanting to attend “very much in doubt”.

It said: “The wellbeing and safety of our fans is paramount and from hard lessons learned, we have taken the decision to decline any allocation offered on behalf of away fans and our decision should be understood in that context.

“We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to being able to play in Birmingham in a sporting environment in the near future.”

Birmingham’s safety advisory group, the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, last week said that no away fans will be allowed to watch.

The Prime Minister then weighed in, calling the move to bar fans “wrong” and for it to be overturned.

The government had been expecting West Midlands Police to set out this week what they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present.

Downing Street said earlier on Monday that the UK Football Policing Unit was “reaching out” to Israeli authorities to understand why an Israeli Premier League match between rivals Hapoel and Maccabi was called off on Sunday.

Trouble flared before kick-off in and around the Bloomfield Stadium, a venue shared by Hapoel and Maccabi, with violent clashes taking place between supporters.

Maccabi’s statement came just hours after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy vowed that resources would not be the determining factor as to whether their fans would be able to attend the game or not.

She confirmed the government was working alongside West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to “consider all the options available” to “ensure fans” from both clubs could attend the game.

“This decision was not made in a vacuum,” Ms Nandy told the Commons on Monday.

“It is set against the backdrop of rising antisemitism here and across the world, and an attack on a synagogue in Manchester in which two innocent men were killed.

“It has a real-world impact on a community who already feel excluded and afraid.

“It is therefore completely legitimate to support the independence of the police to conduct that risk assessment and to question the conclusion that follows when it excludes the people at the heart of that risk.

“Following the decision last week, the government has been working with West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to support them to consider all the options available, and to tell us what resources are needed to manage the risks, to ensure fans from both teams can attend safely.

“If the assessment is revised, the safety advisory group will meet again to discuss options.”

Ayoub Khan, whose Birmingham Perry Barr constituency is home to the Villa Park Stadium, claimed MPs hoping to overturn the decision were playing “fast and loose with” community safety.

While Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree Paula Barker warned of a “slippery slope when safety concerns are ignored” at football stadiums, following the Hillsborough crowd crush in 1989.

Bob Vylan say they would do Glastonbury chant again

Bob Vylan’s frontman has said he is “not regretful” of his Glastonbury Festival chant and would “do it again tomorrow”.

The outspoken punk duo sparked controversy when they led chants of “death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” at the festival in June.

Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast in his first interview since Glastonbury, Bobby Vylan, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, was asked if he stands by the chant and if he would do it again.

He replied: “Oh yeah. Like what if I was to go on Glastonbury again tomorrow, yes I would do it again. I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays.

“I’m not regretful of it at all, like the subsequent backlash that I’ve faced. It’s minimal.

“It’s minimal compared to what people in Palestine are going through. If that can be my contribution and if I can have my Palestinian friends and people that I meet from Palestine, that have had to flee, that have lost members in double digits of their family and they can say, yo, your chant, I love it. Or it gave me a breath of fresh air or whatever.

“And I don’t want to overstate the importance of the chant. That’s not what I’m trying to do, but if I have their support, they’re the people that I’m doing it for, they’re the people that I’m being vocal for, then what is there to regret. Oh, because I’ve upset some right-wing politician or some right-wing media?”

Vylan’s conversation with Theroux was recorded on October 1 and at the start of the episode the presenter notes it took place before the Manchester synagogue attacks on October 2, in which two people were killed and three others injured, and before the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on October 10.

The musician said he was taken aback by the uproar sparked by the chant, which was described by Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “appalling hate speech”, and said members of BBC staff told him the set was “fantastic”.

The corporation’s Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) has since found the BBC’s broadcast of the performance breached editorial standards in relation to harm and offence.

He said: “I had no expectations. I honestly hadn’t heard it (the reaction). I hadn’t seen it. Because obviously there was a lot happening at the time. Do you know what I mean?

“It wasn’t like we came off stage, and everybody was like (gasps). It’s just normal. We come off stage. It’s normal. Nobody thought anything. Nobody. Even staff at the BBC were like “That was fantastic! We loved that!”

Vylan also hit back at Damon Albarn from Blur, who said the chant was “one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life, especially when he started goose-stepping in tennis gear”.

He said of Albarn: “It was disappointing. Because it lacked self-awareness, I think, his response.

“I just want to say that categorising it as a “spectacular misfire” implies that somehow the politics of the band or our stance on Palestinian liberation is not thought out.

“And as a more senior, experienced, veteran artist – he’s been in this industry for a long time – I think that there were other ways that he could have handled that question being fielded to him.

“I take great issue with the phrase ‘goose-stepping’ being used because it’s only used around Nazi Germany. That’s it. And for him to use that language, I think is disgusting. I think his response was disgusting.”

Asked what he meant by the chant “Death to the IDF,” Vylan said: “My whole issue with this thing is that the chant is so unimportant. It’s so unimportant, and the response to it was so disproportionate.

“What is important is the conditions that exist to allow that chant to even take place on that stage. And I mean, the conditions that exist in Palestine. Where the Palestinian people are being killed at an alarming rate.

“Who cares about the chant? It’s like, what is it that is allowing for that chant to even exist? That’s what the focus should have always been on it.”

He added: “An end to the oppression that Palestinian people are facing. An end to the apartheid regime that has been created, an end to that. “End, End the IDF” does not rhyme, wouldn’t have caught on, would it? You know what I mean?

“Because that is what we are up there to do. We are there to entertain. We are there to play music. I am a lyricist. “Death, Death to IDF” rhymes. Perfect chant.”

Vylan also rejected claims the set contributed to a spike in antisemitic incidents reported two days later.

He said: “I don’t think I have created an unsafe atmosphere for the Jewish community. If there were large numbers of people going out and going like “Bob Vylan made me do this”. I might go, oof, I’ve had a negative impact here.”

He added he believes the band has received more criticism than others for speaking about the conflict.

He said: “Maybe I’m being naive or maybe I’m kind of focusing too much on ‘self’ there, but I think we’ve been attacked to a degree that I haven’t really seen anybody else attacked for speaking up about this issue.”

When Theroux suggested Irish band Kneecap have also faced backlash for their approach, Vylan, who is of Jamaican heritage, said: “That’s an interesting one.

“It’s an interesting one because as with everything race comes to play a part in that we are an easier villain, no pun intended, than they are because we are already the enemy.

“So, you don’t really need to give much context as to why the British public should hate us. That’s tricky.”

The Louis Theroux Podcast is available on Spotify now.

Hidden gem holidays: An insider guide to the Dominican Republic

The advent of autumn sees us thinking ahead to how to keep that sunshine feeling going through till winter; and there’s nothing better for keeping our spirits up than the idea of booking a holiday somewhere tropical. Enter the Dominican Republic, a warm and welcoming Caribbean nation perched to the south of the Turks and Caicos islands, and east of Jamaica. Known for its beautiful beaches, premium resorts and some legendary golf courses, there is, as the saying goes, genuinely something for everyone. If you want to make your holiday more than just a fly and flop, there’s plenty to explore, from Pico Duarte, the Caribbean’s tallest mountain, to historic sites in the country’s lively capital, Santo Domingo.

But first, where’s the best place to stay? Consider Costa Esmeralda, in the Miches area on the Island’s northeastern coast, a picturesque and pristine stretch of sand fringed with coconut palms that lean over the calm, turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Neighbouring Punta Cana and the wider Bávaro area combine to form what’s known as La Costa del Coco, or the Coconut Coast, an area of lavish, all-inclusive hotels which is also popular for windsurfing, kayaking and sailing.

Base yourself at Zemi Miches Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort Curio by Hilton, an oceanfront resort boasting 800-metres of secluded beach on the shores of Playa Esmeralda. Located just 90 minutes’ drive from Punta Cana International Airport, the emphasis here is firmly on fun and relaxation. It features six restaurants, six bars and lounges, four pools and several water slides, and for those who like to keep fit while away, there’s a pickleball court, a paddle tennis court, and a full-service fitness centre which offers yoga and pilates classes. The Acana spa aims to reconnect soul and spirit with therapies inspired by ancient traditions, while you’ll also find a daily programme of art and cultural activities, plus live nightly entertainment. Bringing the kids? They’ll love spending time at the Coki Cove Kids Club or Palmchat Teens Club.

There’s a choice of rooms, suites or bungalows, all tastefully decorated with Caribbean flair, and offering stunning views. Select accommodations even feature private plunge pools, and Club Azure and bungalow guests have access to additional dining options and a rooftop pool. Talking of dining, you’ll experience a world of flavour, with menus inspired by the traditions of the Caribbean, Thailand, and the Amalfi Coast; think spicy, street-food inspired dishes, wood-fired pizzas, and local favourites. All this, and unlimited drinks and cocktails, too!

What’s more, booking with British Airways Holidays means you can secure your holiday now with a low deposit and spread the cost with flexible payments*. Once you’re ready to jet off, you can enjoy increased checked baggage allowance, a dedicated 24-hour helpline during your trip and the option of quality car hire with no hidden fees, 24-hour support and roadside assistance.

Upgrade to Club World and you’ll also get lounge access**, increased baggage allowance, priority check-in and boarding, and a spacious seat that converts to a fully flat bed. Members of The British Airways Club enjoy even more benefits in the form of collecting Avios (British Airways’ frequent flyer currency) and earning tier points, which unlock frequent flyer status and other benefits. Avios can also be used towards the cost of your holiday, presenting even greater value for money for members.

All this means you can totally relax during your stay at Hilton Zemi Miches Punta Cana All-Inclusive Resort, knowing you’re getting the quality and peace of mind you’d expect from a British Airways Holidays.

If you can tear yourself away from the resort – tough, we know – there’s lots to experience throughout the Dominican Republic. Take a day trip to Santo Domingo, one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities; its walled, cobblestoned, historic centre, the Zona Colonial, has impressive Spanish buildings dating back to the 16th century, including the Gothic Catedral Primada de America and the Alcázar de Colón palace, which sits on the laid-back, cafe-lined Plaza de España. The latter is now one of the city’s many museums, displaying striking medieval and Renaissance art. In the pretty Parque del Este is the Faro a Colón, a large mausoleum and museum dedicated to Christopher Columbus, who landed on the island known as Hispaniola (now divided into the Dominican Republic and Haiti) in 1492. For a taste of life in bygone times, visit Altos de Chavón, a fascinating replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village, featuring art galleries and studios, boutiques and a striking amphitheatre.

Looking for something a little more adventurous? Get back to nature at Los Haitises National Park, where you can explore mangrove forests, caves and unique rock formations, or the 27 waterfalls of Damajagua, a series of tumbling falls perfect for swimming, splashing and jumping into. And don’t miss the incredible Hoya Azul, a cenote, or sinkhole, with crystal-clear, aquamarine waters; it’s located in Scape Park, a natural adventure park featuring lush jungles and jaw-dropping cliffs, where you can go zip-lining or explore the caves. There is whale watching in Samana Bay – humpback whales can be found here during their breeding season, January to March. While Lago Enriquillo, a salt lake with surrounding wetlands, is home to crocodiles and various bird species, including flamingos. All in all, your holiday to the Dominican Republic is guaranteed to be unforgettable; so get booking now!

British Airways Holidays packages include a generous baggage allowance for each customer and come with full ATOL protection for complete peace of mind. Secure your holiday to Hilton Zemi Miches Punta with a low deposit and enjoy flexible payments until you fly*.

*Based on two sharing. Full balance due seven weeks before departure. Subject to availability. T&Cs apply.

**Subject to availability

One million young people will soon not be in education or work

The number of young people not in work, employment or training is set to surpass one million for the first time in more than a decade, new research has found.

The number of so-called “Neets” has risen by nearly 200,000 over the past two years to reach 940,000, new research from the Resolution Foundation shows. The biggest increases in the past few decades are among those inactive due to disability or ill health, it suggested.

Researchers from the influential think tank, supported by the Health Foundation, found that inactivity due to sickness or disability amongst this group has more than doubled since 2005, now making up more than one in four.

The report said this trend means the number of young people not in work or training is set to hit one million for the first time since the aftermath of the financial crisis, when it peaked at 1.2 million in 2012.

The government recently announced the next stage of its ‘Youth Guarantee’ policy, which was pledged in its election manifesto. The scheme aims to ensure all young people are either earning or in education by matching them up with local training or employment opportunities.

This will also include a “targeted backstop”, the Treasury has said, where any eligible young person on Universal Credit for more than 18 months without earning or learning will be provided with guaranteed paid work.

However, this may also be paired with benefit sanctions or even having entitlement stopped entirely if work is turned down, it is understood.

The government is also consulting on restricting eligibility for the health-related element of Universal Credit to those aged 22 and over, and increasing its equivalent for children to end at 18, rather than 16. This means only the age bracket included in the Youth Guarantee policy would not be covered.

James Taylor, executive director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “Schemes improving employment support for young people are encouraging, but no details have yet been set out for young disabled people, who face many barriers getting into work.

“At the same time, the government is planning to cut Universal Credit Health for under-22s. Life costs more if you are disabled, and those costs will hit young disabled people even harder without this financial support.

“The government must tackle the real barriers young disabled people face getting into work, instead of ripping away their financial safety net or forcing them into unsuitable jobs.”

In light of recently increased attention on young people not in work, the Resolution Foundation also pointed out that nearly half of those in this group (44 per cent) do not engage with the benefits system at all.

The think tank has urged the government to increase its efforts to reduce numbers by creating a national “front door” to help young people re-engage with education and training, and broaden access to the Youth Guarantee to include 22- to 24-year-olds.

It also advises that the quality and frequency of Work Capability Assessments – which the government intends to scrap – be increased for young people receiving health-related benefits.

Louise Murphy, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The number of young people who are neither earning nor learning has risen sharply in recent years and is now nearing one million.

“The biggest factor driving this increase is workless young people reporting a disability or ill-health. This has doubled over the past 20 years and now affects over one in four young people not in education, employment or training.

“The government should redouble efforts to reduce the number of Neets by making it easier for young people to return to education if they drop out, or to get their first experience of work.

“Otherwise, we risk a cohort of young people slipping through the cracks into a lifetime of lower living standards.”

A Government spokesperson said: “Every young person should have the chance to thrive. That’s why we’re delivering our Youth Guarantee so no one is left behind and expanding mental health services.

“We’re also shifting our focus from welfare to work – modernising Jobcentres and funding programmes like Connect to Work so people get the skills to succeed, and businesses get the workforce they need.

“These measures are all part of efforts to ensure everyone has the opportunity to move into good, secure jobs under our Plan for Change.”

Hamas releases another dead hostage’s body to Israel after Trump warns ‘behave or be eradicated’

Donald Trump has warned Hamas to “behave or be eradicated”, after US envoys flew to the Middle East to salvage a fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

The US president’s stark warning came after a series of killings in the Gaza Strip threatened to derail the peace process that saw the 20 remaining living hostages finally freed last week. The Israeli military confirmed that the body of another dead captive had been received after it was handed over by Hamas on Monday evening, via the Red Cross.

The body has not been identified, but this one and the remaining 15 hostages and captives were all men. They included civilians, soldiers and police.

During a meeting with the Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on Monday, Mr Trump said that Hamas is “going to behave” or face severe repercussions. “They’re going to be nice, and if they’re not, we’re going to go and we’re going to eradicate them,” the president said.

“Hamas has been very violent, but they don’t have the backing of Iran any more. They don’t have the backing of really anybody any more. They have to be good, and if they’re not good, they’ll be eradicated.”

Israel killed 45 and injured 158 in the past 24 hours, Gaza’s authorities say, with 97 people in the strip killed since Mr Trump’s ceasefire came into effect just over a week ago.

The Israeli military said it fired at “terrorists” who crossed an invisible “yellow line” in Rafah on Sunday, which marked a withdrawal point for Israeli troops who remain occupying 53 per cent of the Gaza Strip. Two Israeli soldiers were killed in the exchange, and Israel temporarily cut off aid in response.

Hamas said it had no knowledge of individuals operating in the Rafah region and had not been in touch with groups there since March.

Amid fears the peace will not last, US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, and Mr Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, landed in Tel Aviv Monday to work on the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire agreement.

The pair met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss “developments and updates in the region”, having played a leading role in the first phase of negotiations.

Vice president JD Vance, and his wife Usha, are expected to land on Tuesday to continue discussions.

Palestinians say that those killed in Israeli strikes include people who have been travelling to check on their homes, including a veterinarian and social media personality Dr Moath Abu Rukbah. They say they have been left confused at the placement of the “line”, when much of the region has been left in rubble.

“The whole area is in ruins,” Samir, 50, who lives in Tuffah, told Reuters. “We saw the maps, but we can’t tell where those lines are.”

Israeli forces began the process of placing down yellow concrete blocks to demarcate the area using bulldozers following a directive from the country’s defence minister Israel Katz, the Israeli Ministry of Defence said on Monday. It said it will kill anyone who crosses the line, without warning.

Hamas, Mr Trump and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire in the aftermath of the violent outbreak. Israel said aid continued to enter the strip on Monday.

Meanwhile, mediators have stepped up diplomatic talks as Egypt hosted discussions with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Cairo on Monday.

The militant group has alleged that Israel has committed 47 violations of the ceasefire agreement, with the Government Media Office outlining examples including: “crimes of direct gunfire at civilians, deliberate bombardment and targeting, the execution of ‘fire belts,’ and the arrest of a number of civilian citizens”.

On their experience of brokering a deal with warring factions, Mr Kushner pointed to his and Mr Witkoff’s “deep relationships” in the region, which he said were strong “throughout the world”.

“What people call conflicts of interests, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world,” he said. “If Steve and I didn’t have these deep relationships, the deal we were able to get done, that freed these hostages would not have occurred.

“We have trusted relationships in the Arab world and even in Israel, where we’ve both done business in the past. But that means they trust us.

“We understand their cultures. We understand how they work. And we’re able to use that knowledge and skill set to try to do things that advance the world.”

Over 68,216 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October 2023, including nearly 20,000 children, according to Palestinian authorities. The UN concluded that Israel is committing a genocide after a two-year investigation, which Israel has called “false” and “distorted”.

Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner have rejected the genocide claims and reaffirmed the US’s commitment to the return of the bodies of all remaining hostages.