By TIA GOLDENBERG, JACK JEFFERY and SAMY MAGDY (Associated Press)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli navy says 11 hostages have been launched from Hamas captivity within the Gaza Strip and returned to Israeli territory.
Military officers mentioned late Monday that the hostages have been on Israeli soil and present process preliminary medical checks earlier than being reunited with their households.
It is the fourth such launch below a cease-fire cope with the Hamas navy group. Israel is to free 33 Palestinian prisoners later Monday.
The cease-fire had been set to run out early Tuesday. But Qatar, which has been mediating between the edges, mentioned they agreed to increase the truce by two extra days.
The warfare broke out Oct. 7 when Hamas militants burst throughout the border into Israel, killing some 1,200 folks and taking 240 others captive. Israel declared warfare, and over 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in weeks of Israeli strikes, in response to well being authorities within the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israeli media mentioned the hostages included two girls and 9 youngsters. Two of the kids are 3 years previous.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows under.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel and Hamas agreed to increase their cease-fire for 2 extra days previous Monday, the Qatari authorities mentioned, elevating the prospect of an extended halt to their deadliest and most damaging warfare and additional exchanges of militant-held hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
The announcement, made by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al Ansary in a put up on X, got here on the ultimate day of the unique four-day truce between the warring sides. The Israeli navy mentioned Monday night that 11 hostages have been handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and have been on their approach to Israeli territory, marking the beginning of the fourth swap below the unique truce.
Israel has mentioned it could lengthen the cease-fire by in the future for each 10 further hostages launched. After the announcement by Qatar — a key mediator within the battle, together with the United States and Egypt — Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a two-day extension “under the same terms.”
But Israel says it stays dedicated to crushing Hamas’ navy capabilities and ending its 16-year rule over Gaza after its Oct. 7 assault into southern Israel. That would doubtless imply increasing a floor offensive from devastated northern Gaza to the south, the place lots of of hundreds of Palestinians have crammed into United Nations shelters, and the place dire circumstances persist regardless of the elevated supply of support below the truce.
Israel will resume its operations with “full force” as quickly as the present deal expires if Hamas doesn’t conform to additional hostage releases, authorities spokesperson Eylon Levy instructed reporters on Monday. Israel has mentioned that, along with dismantling Hamas. releasing the remainder of the captives is a prime precedence.
So far, 58 hostages have been launched through the present truce, together with 39 Israelis. Before the truce, 4 hostages have been freed, one other was rescued and two have been discovered useless inside Gaza. Israel has launched 117 Palestinians from jail for the reason that truce started.
After weeks of nationwide trauma over the roughly 240 folks kidnapped by Hamas and different militants, scenes of the ladies and youngsters reuniting with households have rallied Israelis behind calls to return those that stay in captivity.
“We can get all hostages back home. We have to keep pushing,” two relations of Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old lady and twin Israeli-American citizen who was launched Sunday, mentioned in an announcement.
Hamas and different militants may nonetheless be holding as much as 175 hostages, sufficient to doubtlessly lengthen the cease-fire for 2 and a half weeks. But these embody a variety of troopers, and Hamas is more likely to make a lot better calls for for his or her launch.
On Sunday, Hamas freed 17 hostages, together with 14 Israelis, and Israel launched 39 Palestinian prisoners — the third such change below the truce.
Most hostages gave the impression to be bodily effectively, however 84-year-old Elma Avraham was airlifted to Israel’s Soroka Medical Center in life-threatening situation due to insufficient care, the hospital mentioned.
Avraham’s daughter, Tali Amano, mentioned her mom was “hours from death” when she was delivered to the hospital. Avraham is at the moment sedated and has a respiratory tube, however Amano mentioned she instructed her of a brand new nice grandchild who was born whereas she was in captivity.
Avraham suffered from a number of persistent circumstances that required common medicines however was steady earlier than she was kidnapped, Amano mentioned Monday.
So far, 19 folks of different nationalities have been freed through the truce, largely Thai nationals. Many Thais work in Israel, largely as farm laborers.
The Palestinian prisoners launched have been largely youngsters accused of throwing stones and firebombs throughout confrontations with Israeli forces, or of less-serious offenses. Many Palestinians view prisoners held by Israel, together with these implicated in assaults, as heroes resisting occupation.
The freed hostages have largely stayed out of the general public eye, however particulars of their captivity have began to trickle out.
Merav Raviv, whose three relations have been launched Friday, mentioned 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 generally needed to watch for hours to make use of the toilet, she mentioned.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed for the reason that warfare started, roughly two thirds of them girls and minors, in response to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 folks have been killed on the Israeli aspect, largely civilians killed within the preliminary assault. At least 77 troopers have been killed in Israel’s floor offensive.
The calm from the truce allowed glimpses of the destruction wreaked by weeks of Israeli bombardment that leveled complete neighborhoods.
Footage confirmed a posh of a number of dozen multistory residential buildings that had been pummeled right into a panorama of wreckage within the northern city of Beit Hanoun. Nearly each constructing was destroyed or severely broken, some diminished to concrete frames half-slumped over. At a close-by U.N. faculty, the buildings have been intact however partially burned and riddled with holes.
The Israeli assault has pushed three-quarters of Gaza’s inhabitants from their houses, and now most of its 2.3 million persons are crowded into the south. More than 1 million live in U.N. shelters. The Israeli navy has barred lots of of hundreds of Palestinians who fled south from returning north.
Rain and wind added to the hardship of displaced Palestinians sheltering within the compound of Al-Aqsa hospital in central Gaza. Palestinians in coats baked flatbreads over a makeshift fireplace amongst tents arrange on the muddy grounds.
Alaa Mansour mentioned the circumstances are merely horrendous.
“My clothes are all wet and I am unable to change them.” mentioned Mansour, who’s disabled. “I have not drunk water for two days, and there’s no bathroom to use.”
The U.N. 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 warfare. But the 160 to 200 vehicles a day remains to be lower than half what Gaza was importing earlier than the combating, whilst humanitarian wants have soared.
Long strains fashioned exterior stations distributing cooking gasoline, allowed in for the primary time. Fuel for mills has been introduced for key service suppliers, together with hospitals, water and sanitation amenities, however bakeries have been unable to renew work, the U.N. mentioned.
Iyad Ghafary, a vendor within the city Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, mentioned many households have been nonetheless unable to retrieve the useless from below the rubble left by Israeli airstrikes, and that native authorities weren’t outfitted to cope with the extent of destruction.
Many say the help just isn’t practically sufficient.
Amani Taha, a widow and mom of three who fled northern Gaza, mentioned she had solely managed to get one canned meal from a U.N. distribution middle for the reason that cease-fire started.
She mentioned the crowds have overwhelmed native markets and gasoline stations as folks attempt to top off on fundamentals. “People were desperate and went out to buy whenever they could,” she mentioned. “They are extremely worried that the war will return.”
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Jeffery and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press author Melanie Lidman in Jerusalem contributed.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
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