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.
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.
A Gaza Health Ministry official says Israel has turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage. The transfer on Thursday marks the last hostage-detainee exchange between Israel and Hamas. The return of all remaining hostages living or dead had been a key part of the first phase in the ceasefire that paused the war in October. A spokesperson at Gaza's health ministry says the bodies handed over Thursday were taken to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. It comes after Israel announced Monday it found and identified the remains of the last Israeli hostage at a cemetery in northern Gaza.
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 remains handed over by Palestinian militants in Gaza to the Red Cross. They are believed to be of one of two dead hostages still in Gaza, an Israeli and a Thai national. Israel's government said Tuesday the remains had been taken for forensics testing. Palestinian media say they were found in Gaza's northern town of Beit Lahiya. Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire began on Oct. 10, 20 living hostages and the remains of 26 others have already been returned to Israel.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's army says militants in Gaza have handed over a body believed to be a hostage. Since the ceasefire between Israel and…
