DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The delicate 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 america mentioned it hoped could be prolonged. In flip, Israel launched 39 Palestinian prisoners.
Most hostages have been handed over on to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air power base. Others left by Egypt. Israel’s military mentioned one was airlifted to a hospital, and the director of Soroka Medical Heart mentioned Elma Avraham, 84, was in life-threatening situation as “a results of an prolonged time frame when an aged girl was not taken care of as wanted.”
The youngest hostage launched was Abigail Edan, a 4-year-old woman and twin Israeli-American citizen whose mother and father have been killed within the Hamas assault that began the battle on Oct. 7.
“What she endured was unthinkable,” U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned of the primary American freed underneath the truce. He didn’t know her situation and didn’t present updates on different American hostages. Biden mentioned his objective was to increase the cease-fire deal so long as attainable.
In all, 9 youngsters ages 17 and youthful have been on the checklist, in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace. Three extra Thai nationals have been launched. Individually, Hamas mentioned it launched a Russian hostage “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”
The three Thai nationals have been present process well being checks at a medical middle in Israel and introduced the entire variety of Thai hostages launched to 17, Thailand’s International Ministry mentioned. The ministry mentioned 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 larger than these at they will earn at house.
The Palestinian prisoners launched have been youngsters and younger males, ages 15-19, largely accused of public dysfunction, property injury and in some circumstances inflicting or threatening bodily hurt to Israeli officers by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Many have 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 ladies and minors.
Worldwide mediators led by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been making an attempt to increase the cease-fire that started Friday.
“We are able to get all hostages again house. Now we have to maintain pushing,” mentioned two of Edan’s relations, an excellent aunt and cousin, in an announcement thanking mediators.
Hamas for the primary time mentioned it might search to increase the deal by trying to launch a bigger variety of hostages. Netanyahu issued an announcement saying he had spoken to Biden and reiterated his supply to increase the cease-fire by an extra day for each 10 hostages Hamas releases. However he mentioned Israel would resume its offensive “with all of our would possibly” as soon as the truce expires.
Forward of the newest hostage launch, Netanyahu donned physique armor and visited the Gaza Strip, the place he spoke with troops.
“On the finish of the day we’ll return each one,” he mentioned of the hostages, including that “we’re persevering with till the tip, till victory. Nothing will cease us.” It was not clear the place he went inside Gaza.
That is the primary vital pause in seven weeks of battle, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in a long time. Greater than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them ladies and minors, in response to the Well being Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants. The battle 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 mentioned one individual was arrested for reckless endangerment and two others have been issued summonses for disorderly conduct.
LIFE IN CAPTIVITY
Hamas ’ navy wing launched a video displaying militants handing over the hostages to Purple Cross staff and paramedics, with a few of the balaclava-wearing fighters and hostages waving goodbye to one another.
Households 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. Greater than 70 members of the kibbutz of round 700 folks have been killed and 18 have been kidnapped.
The freed hostages have largely stayed out of the general public eye. Hospitals mentioned their bodily situation has largely been good. Little is publicly recognized in regards to the circumstances of their captivity.
Merav Raviv, whose three relations have been launched on 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 lavatory, she mentioned.
Stress from households has sharpened the dilemma dealing with Israel’s leaders, who search to remove Hamas as a navy and governing energy. Hamas and different militant teams seized round 240 folks through the incursion into southern Israel that ignited the battle. Fifty-eight have been launched, one was freed by Israeli forces and two have been discovered useless inside Gaza.
AID TO NORTHERN GAZA
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 properties and leveled residential areas. Rocket hearth from Gaza militants into Israel additionally went silent.
Struggle-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, the place the offensive has been centered, made their approach by total metropolis blocks gutted by airstrikes.
However these among the many tons of of hundreds of Palestinians who fled the north have been turned again by Israeli troops whereas making an attempt to return to verify their properties.
“They open hearth on anybody approaching from the south,” mentioned Rami Hazarein, who fled Gaza Metropolis.
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 Purple Crescent rescue service mentioned Israeli forces opened hearth Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the opposite. An Israeli navy spokesperson mentioned they weren’t conscious of the episode.
The United Nations says the truce made it attainable to scale up the supply of meals, water and drugs to the biggest quantity for the reason that begin of the battle, however it calls the 160 to 200 vans a day “hardly sufficient.”
It was in a position to ship gas for the primary time for the reason that battle started, and to achieve areas within the north for the primary time in a month. The Palestinian Purple Crescent Society mentioned 50 Egyptian support vans crossed by Israeli checkpoints to achieve Gaza Metropolis and northern areas Sunday.
HAMAS COMMANDER KILLED
Hamas introduced the loss of life of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was accountable for northern Gaza and a member of its prime navy council. He’s the highest-ranking militant recognized to have been killed within the preventing. Israel’s navy confirmed the loss of life.
Al-Ghandour had survived no less than 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 response to the Counter Extremism Undertaking, an advocacy group primarily based in Washington.
Hamas mentioned he was killed together with three different senior militants, together with Ayman Siam, who Israel says was accountable for 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 have been hiding.
The Israeli navy claims to have killed hundreds of militants, with out offering proof.
The battle has been accompanied by a surge in violence within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution. Palestinian well being authorities mentioned Sunday that 5 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli navy raid within the West Financial institution metropolis of Jenin that started the day earlier than. The battle toll within the West Financial institution is now 239.
The Israeli military has performed frequent raids and arrested tons of of Palestinians for the reason that begin of the battle, largely folks 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.