By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)
JERUSALEM (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, in a 3rd set of releases beneath a four-day cease-fire deal.
Red Cross representatives transferred the hostages out of Gaza. Some had been handed over on to Israel, whereas others left via Egypt. Israel’s military stated one was airlifted on to an Israeli hospital.
The Israeli hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old woman whose dad and mom had been killed within the Hamas assault that began the conflict on Oct. 7. In all, 9 kids ages 17 and youthful had been on the record, in accordance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace.
Separately, Hamas stated it had launched one of many Russian hostages it was holding, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and as a present of appreciation for Moscow’s place on the conflict. Israeli military radio had reported that it was an Israeli-Russian twin nationwide.
Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as a part of the deal. A fourth change is predicted on Monday — the final day of the cease-fire throughout which a complete of fifty hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are ladies and minors.
International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar try to increase the cease-fire.
Ahead of the most recent launch, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, the place he spoke with troops. “We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one,” he stated, including that “we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.” It was not instantly clear the place he went inside Gaza.
In a separate improvement, Hamas introduced that one in all its prime commanders had been killed, with out saying when or how. Israel’s army confirmed it.
The cease-fire settlement has introduced the primary important pause in seven weeks of conflict, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in many years and huge destruction and displacement throughout the Gaza Strip.
Hamas and different militant teams seized round 240 folks in the course of the rampage throughout southern Israel that ignited the conflict.
Pressure from hostages’ households has sharpened the dilemma going through Israel’s leaders, who search to eradicate Hamas as a army and governing energy whereas returning all of the captives.
The conflict has claimed the lives of greater than 1,200 Israelis, largely civilians killed by Hamas within the preliminary assault. More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them ladies and minors, in accordance with the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The cease-fire, which started Friday, was brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States. Israel has stated the truce could be prolonged by an additional day for each further 10 hostages freed, however has vowed to rapidly resume its offensive as soon as it ends. Sullivan stated the U.S. is working “with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.”
Hamas introduced the demise of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in control of northern Gaza and a member of its prime army council. He is the highest-ranking militant recognized to have been killed within the combating.
Al-Ghandour, believed to have been round 56 years outdated, had survived not less than three Israeli makes an attempt on his life and was concerned in a cross-border assault in 2006 during which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, in accordance with the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based mostly in Washington.
Hamas stated that 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 army 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 army claims to have killed 1000’s of militants, with out offering proof, together with a number of mid-ranking commanders it has recognized by title.
The pause has given some respite to Gaza’s 2.3 million folks, nonetheless reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has pushed three-quarters of the inhabitants from their houses and leveled residential areas. Rocket hearth from Gaza militants into Israel additionally went silent.
War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, the place the offensive has centered, returned to the streets. Entire metropolis blocks in and round Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.
In southern Gaza, the place lots of of 1000’s of individuals from the north have sought refuge, residents lined up outdoors gasoline stations, hoping to fill up on gasoline. Palestinians who’ve tried to return to the north to see if their houses are intact have been turned again by Israeli troops.
“Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” stated Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City final month.
The Israeli army 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 that Israeli forces opened hearth Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the opposite. It didn’t present additional particulars. An Israeli army spokesperson stated they weren’t conscious of the incident.
The United Nations stated the truce has made it potential to scale up the supply of meals, water, and medication to the most important quantity because the begin of the conflict, although it nonetheless hasn’t reached prewar ranges. It was in a position to ship gasoline for the primary time because the conflict started, and to succeed in areas within the north for the primary time in a month.
The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven kids and 6 ladies, ranging in age from 3 to 67. Most had been from Kibbutz Be’eri, a group that Hamas militants attacked on Oct. 7.
The freed hostages have largely stayed out of the general public eye. Hospitals stated their bodily situation has been good, other than one who was shot in the course of the assault and required surgical procedure. Little is publicly recognized in regards to the circumstances of their captivity.
Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, stated his aunt “had to adjust to the sunlight” as a result of she had been in full darkness for weeks.
The launched Palestinians included not less than two ladies who had been given lengthy sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent assaults. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, together with these implicated in assaults, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their launch.
The conflict in Gaza 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 army raid within the northern West Bank metropolis of Jenin that started the day earlier than.
The Israeli military has performed frequent army raids and arrested lots of of Palestinians because the begin of the conflict, largely folks it suspects of being Hamas members.
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Samy 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.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”