By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was again on monitor Sunday because the militants freed 17 extra hostages, together with 14 Israelis and the primary American, in a 3rd change underneath a four-day truce that the United States stated it hoped could be prolonged. In flip, Israel launched 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Most hostages had been handed over on to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air drive base. Others left by way of Egypt. Israel’s military stated one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Center stated Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening situation as “a result of an extended period of time when an elderly woman was not taken care of as needed.”
The youngest hostage launched was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old woman and twin Israeli-American citizen whose dad and mom had been killed within the Hamas assault that began the conflict on Oct. 7.
“What she endured was unthinkable,” U.S. President Joe Biden stated of the primary American freed underneath the truce. He didn’t know her situation and didn’t present updates on different American hostages. Biden stated his objective was to increase the cease-fire deal so long as potential.
In all, 9 kids ages 17 and youthful had been on the checklist, in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace. Three extra Thai nationals had been launched. Separately, Hamas stated it launched a Russian hostage “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
The three Thai nationals had been present process well being checks at a medical middle in Israel and introduced the overall variety of Thai hostages launched to 17, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry stated. The ministry stated it was pursuing efforts for the secure launch of the 15 remaining Thai hostages. Thais working in Israel are largely employed as semi-skilled farm laborers, at wages significantly greater than these at they will earn at dwelling.
The Palestinian prisoners launched had been kids and younger males, ages 15-19, largely accused of public dysfunction, property harm and in some circumstances inflicting or threatening bodily hurt to Israeli officers by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many had been scooped up from protests and confrontations with troops. In flip, many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, together with these implicated in assaults, as heroes resisting occupation.
A fourth change is anticipated on Monday — the final day of the cease-fire throughout which a complete of fifty hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. Most are girls and minors.
International mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar had been attempting to increase the cease-fire that started Friday.
“We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing,” stated two of Edan’s family members, an amazing aunt and cousin, in a press release thanking mediators.
Hamas for the primary time stated it could search to increase the deal by seeking to launch a bigger variety of hostages. Netanyahu issued a press release saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his provide to increase the cease-fire by an extra day for each 10 hostages Hamas releases. But he stated Israel would resume its offensive “with all of our might” as soon as the truce expires.
Ahead of the newest hostage launch, Netanyahu donned physique armor and visited the Gaza Strip, the place he spoke with troops.
“At the end of the day we will return every one,” he stated of the hostages, including that “we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.” It was not clear the place he went inside Gaza.
This is the primary vital pause in seven weeks of conflict, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in a long time. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them girls and minors, in line with the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. The conflict has claimed greater than 1,200 Israelis, largely civilians killed within the preliminary assault.
In New York, tons of of Jewish protesters and allies demanding a everlasting cease-fire in Gaza shut down car visitors on the Manhattan Bridge in each instructions for a number of hours Sunday. A New York police spokesperson stated one individual was arrested for reckless endangerment and two others had been issued summonses for disorderly conduct.
Hamas ’ navy wing launched a video exhibiting militants handing over the hostages to Red Cross employees and paramedics, with a number of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to one another.
Families from the southern Israeli city of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded Sunday on the information that hostages from their city had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of round 700 individuals had been killed and 18 had been kidnapped.
The freed hostages have largely stayed out of the general public eye. Hospitals stated their bodily situation has largely been good. Little is publicly recognized in regards to the situations of their captivity.
Merav Raviv, whose three family members had been launched on Friday, stated they’d been fed irregularly and misplaced weight. One reported consuming primarily bread and rice and sleeping on a makeshift mattress of chairs pushed collectively. Hostages typically needed to watch for hours to make use of the lavatory, she stated.
Pressure from households has sharpened the dilemma dealing with Israel’s leaders, who search to eradicate Hamas as a navy and governing energy. Hamas and different militant teams seized round 240 individuals through the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the conflict. Fifty-eight have been launched, one was freed by Israeli forces and two had been discovered lifeless inside Gaza.
The pause has given some respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals, nonetheless reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has pushed three-quarters of the inhabitants from their houses and leveled residential areas. Rocket fireplace from Gaza militants into Israel additionally went silent.
War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, the place the offensive has been centered, made their means by way of total metropolis blocks gutted by airstrikes.
But these among the many tons of of 1000’s of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned again by Israeli troops whereas attempting to return to verify their houses.
“They open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” stated Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza City.
The Israeli navy has ordered Palestinians to not return to the north or method inside a kilometer (round a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service stated Israeli forces opened fireplace Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the opposite. An Israeli navy spokesperson stated they weren’t conscious of the episode.
The United Nations says the truce made it potential to scale up the supply of meals, water and medication to the most important quantity for the reason that begin of the conflict, nevertheless it calls the 160 to 200 vans a day “hardly enough.”
It was capable of ship gas for the primary time for the reason that conflict started, and to succeed in areas within the north for the primary time in a month. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated 50 Egyptian help vans crossed by way of Israeli checkpoints to succeed in Gaza City and northern areas Sunday.
Hamas introduced the loss of life of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in control of northern Gaza and a member of its prime navy council. He is the highest-ranking militant recognized to have been killed within the preventing. Israel’s navy confirmed the loss of life.
Al-Ghandour had survived at the least three Israeli makes an attempt on his life and was concerned in a cross-border assault in 2006 by which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, in line with the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based mostly in Washington.
Hamas stated he was killed together with three different senior militants, together with Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in control of Hamas’ rocket-firing unit. The Israeli navy talked about each males in a Nov. 16 assertion, saying it had focused an underground complicated the place Hamas leaders had been hiding.
The Israeli navy claims to have killed 1000’s of militants, with out offering proof.
The conflict has been accompanied by a surge in violence within the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian well being authorities stated Sunday that 5 Palestinians had been killed in an Israeli navy raid within the West Bank metropolis of Jenin that started the day earlier than. The conflict toll within the West Bank is now 239.
The Israeli military has performed frequent raids and arrested tons of of Palestinians for the reason that begin of the conflict, largely individuals it suspects of being Hamas members.
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Magdy reported from Cairo. Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
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