Australian news and politics live: Israel warns Hamas for failing to return bodies of all deceased hostages

Beijing-backed hackers are targeting Australians who work from home and using their devices to unleash sprawling spyware on corporate systems.

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) on Tuesday released its Annual Cyber Threat Report revealing it confronted 1200 cyber security incidents over the past year – an 11 per cent jump on the previous year.

Chinese state-sponsored groups, such as the notorious APT 40, drove the spike.

The ASD noted that groups were “routinely” hunting “Australian government networks for cyber espionage purposes”.

“Government and defence-related information is an attractive target for state-sponsored cyber actors seeking strategic insights into Australia’s national policies and decision-making,” the report said.

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Two years after being torn apart by Hamas militants, Noa Argamani and her partner Avinatan Or have been reunited, a moment that has come to symbolise Israel’s long, agonising wait for peace.

On October 7, 2023, footage was captured of Ms Argamani being carried away on a motorbike by Hamas militants as she cried desperately, “Don’t kill me”, reaching for her boyfriend.

The image of Ms Argamani screaming for Mr Or as he was also dragged away went around the world and came to symbolise the cruelty of the militants, even before the horrors of captivity were revealed by those, including Ms Argamani, who were released.

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Israeli hostages have reunited with their families after being released by Hamas and being held in captivity in Gaza for two years.

The IDF has released videos of the families embracing in extremely emotional reunions.

The hostages, all men, have returned to Israel, where they will undergo medical checks.

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Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has described the scenes of Israeli and Palestinian families reuniting in recent days as “truly incredible” and said it was “impossible not to” feel moved by such moments.

“President Trump and his administration deserve an enormous amount of credit,” Mr Marles told ABC TV.

“This is an extraordinary achievement, one that will be remembered by history and now is the moment to seize this and make sure that what comes from it is an enduring peace.”

Mr Marles said the focus must now be on ensuring all parties find a path forward to lasting peace.

“There has to be, in this moment, a resolve to never see this again,” he said.

“And that can only occur if, really, a pathway is walked to an enduring peace, and has to involve a two-state solution.

“And indeed, President Trump’s plan lays out the pathway for the governance of the Palestinian territories and a Palestinian Authority. So, it is a really important point now to be adhering to every aspect of this plan.”

Authorities are scrambling to keep Anthony Albanese’s personal number private after reporters revealed it is available on a US-based website, government sources familiar with the issue have told NewsWire.

The site’s owner uses AI to scrape the web, including social media platforms and professional profiles, for contact details.

The scraped information is then compiled to create an entry on the site’s database, effectively creating a digital phonebook.

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A greatly weakened Hamas has sought to reassert itself in Gaza since the ceasefire, killing at least 33 people in a crackdown on groups that have tested its grip and appearing to get a US nod to temporarily police the shattered enclave.

Pummelled by Israel during the war ignited by its October 7, 2023 attacks, Hamas has gradually sent its men back into the streets of Gaza since the ceasefire began on Friday, moving cautiously in case it suddenly collapses, according to two security sources in the territory.

On Monday, Hamas deployed members of its Qassam Brigades military wing as it freed the last living hostages seized from Israel two years ago.

Reuters footage showed dozens of Hamas fighters lined up at a hospital in southern Gaza, one wearing a shoulder patch identifying him as a member of the elite “Shadow Unit” that Hamas sources say was tasked with guarding hostages.

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Australia was not invited to attend Donald Trump’s official Gaza peace signing ceremony in Egypt overnight and did not ask to attend, Government officials have confirmed.

This is despite the Government’s claim that its decision to recognise Palestine played a key part in the US President’s personally-brokered ceasefire to bring the war in Gaza to an end after two years of fighting.

Mr Trump lavished praise on the more than 20 leaders who showed up, saying he appreciated their attendance, particularly those who rang and requested to be included, such as Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.

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Israel has accused Hamas of a “gross violation” of their agreement after the militant group returned only four bodies of deceased Israeli hostages out of 28.

The shortfall has sparked a strong warning from officials in Jerusalem about Hamas’ adherence to the terms of the deal.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Hamas’ announcement about handing over four bodies amounts to a “failure to meet commitments.”

“Any delay or deliberate avoidance will be considered a gross violation of the agreement and will be responded to accordingly,” Katz wrote in a post on X.

Under the agreement, all 48 hostages – 20 believed to be alive and 28 deceased – are to be released from Gaza within 72 hours of the military’s redeployment and handed over to Israeli security forces.

Israel confirmed that the remains of the four deceased hostages were received. Coffins were escorted across the border by Israel Defence Force and Israel Security Agency personnel, then taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for official identification.

Hamas had previously stated that locating some burial sites could delay the return of certain bodies.