DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli military strikes on Monday killed three people west of Gaza City, according to the hospital where the…

Health officials in Gaza say Israeli strikes have killed at least 24 Palestinians, including two babies. Israel says it killed three militant leaders and that some of the strikes were in response to an attack that wounded a soldier. The strikes come as an already fragile ceasefire deal is under increasing strain. Hospital officials report that among the dead are at least five children, seven women and an on-duty paramedic. The violence since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10 has killed more than 550 Palestinians. Eight Arab and Muslim countries have condemned Israel's actions. The ceasefire deal aimed to end a 2-year-old war between Israel and Hamas.

Three women from the first group of Palestinians to enter Gaza through the newly reopened Rafah crossing told The Associated Press that Israeli troops blindfolded, handcuffed and interrogated them for hours after they crossed. They said the treatment occurred at a screening station in Israeli-controlled territory. Asked about the allegations, the Israeli military said it wasn't aware of any inappropriate conduct or mistreatment. Confusion over luggage rules and tight vetting further marred the reopening, which allowed fewer people to cross than expected.

Medical evacuees from Gaza have entered Egypt as the Rafah crossing reopens, but few Palestinians will be allowed to cross in either direction daily. Monday's opening is a key step in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas but mostly symbolic. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave devastated Gaza via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home. It was unclear if anyone was allowed into Gaza on Monday. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024.

Israel says it will reopen Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in both directions over the weekend. The move announced on Friday will allow Palestinians to enter and leave the territory after nearly two years of near-complete closure. The Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza said in a statement Friday that "limited movement of people only" would be allowed. The reopening of the Rafah crossing on Sunday will mark an important step forward for U.S. President Donald Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan. The crossing is Gaza's main gateway to the outside world. It has been largely closed since May 2024.

Israel is marking the end of a painful chapter after the return of the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Across the country, people removed yellow pins from their lapels and marked what many described as the fulfillment of a pledge to "bring them all home." The return of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police officer, followed days of forensic work in northern Gaza, where teams combed a cemetery to locate, exhume and identify his remains, drawing on search units, intelligence officers and forensic dentists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel will reopen Gaza's border crossing with Egypt in both directions, but he did not say when.

Israel says the remains of the final hostage in Gaza have been recovered, clearing the way for the next phase of the ceasefire that stopped the Israel-Hamas war. Monday's announcement came a day after Israel's government said the military was conducting a "large-scale operation" in a cemetery in northern Gaza to locate the remains of Ran Gvili. The return of all remaining hostages, living or dead, has been a key part of the Gaza ceasefire's first phase. Gvili's family had urged Israel's government not to enter the second phase until his remains were recovered and returned. Hamas says it now has committed to all terms of the ceasefire's first phase.

A grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson have burned to death in Gaza when their tent caught fire. Thousands of Palestinians are enduring colder weather in makeshift housing. The shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. But the death toll continues to grow and aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza. American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Friday. Rafah is the only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel. And it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.

Israel says it launched an airstrike in southern Gaza in retaliation for an attack by militants earlier in the day that wounded five Israeli soldiers. Israel also has received remains in Gaza of a possible hostage and says it will begin allowing Palestinians to leave the war-torn territory through a border crossing with Egypt. The remains will be examined to determine whether they belong to either of the two last hostages in Gaza. It was not immediately clear when the Gaza border crossing would be opened. Egypt wants Palestinians to immediately be able to return to Gaza through the crossing. Israel says it won't allow two-way crossings until all the Gaza hostages are returned.

Israel says it has received human remains that Palestinian militants handed over to the Red Cross, but it is not immediately clear if they are one of three hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday the remains will be taken for forensic testing and identification. The handover is the latest under the fragile ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10. Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it found the remains earlier this week in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in central Gaza. The remaining hostages yet to be handed over are two Israelis and a man from Thailand.