The latest exchange of hostages held by Hamas militants for Palestinians detained by Israel took place on Tuesday evening as part of a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties.
Ten Israeli hostages – nine women and a 17-year-old girl – and two Thais were handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza and were back in Israeli territory, the military said. About an hour later, Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their ceasefire until Wednesday, raising the prospect of further exchanges. Since Friday, Hamas has released 81 hostages, mostly Israeli nationals, while Israel has released 180 Palestinian prisoners.
An extended ceasefire would allow more aid to the Gaza Strip, which has been hit by weeks of Israeli siege and bombardment and has forced three out of four people in Gaza from their homes. 2.3 million people live on the territory.
Israel says it remains committed to crushing Hamas’ military capabilities and ending the group’s 16-year rule over Gaza. That would likely mean an expansion of a ground offensive from the devastated northern Gaza Strip southward.
About 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that sparked the war. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. About 1,200 people were killed in Israel, most of them during Hamas’s initial invasion.
At the moment:
– Israel and Hamas extend their ceasefire, but it seems only a matter of time before the war resumes
– The US tells Israel that any ground campaign in southern Gaza must limit further displacement of civilians
– The family of a minor hostage pleads for his release as the ceasefire comes to an end
– Released Israeli hostage describes deteriorating conditions during her captivity at the hands of Hamas
— For more AP coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Here’s what happens in war:
Manila welcomes the release of the second Filipino hostage
MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino-Israeli woman has arrived in Israel after being released by Hamas on Tuesday evening as part of a group of 12 hostages, the president of the Philippines announced on social media early Wednesday.
Noralin Babadilla was the second of two Filipinos released from captivity in Gaza during the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. With their release, “all Filipinos affected by the war have been held accountable,” wrote President Ferdinand Marcos.
Babadilla, who lived in Israel and worked as a caregiver, was visiting friends at Kibbutz Nirim with her husband during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Israeli embassy in Manila said in a statement. Her husband, Gideon Babani, was killed in the attack and Babadilla was taken hostage.
Marcos thanked Israel for facilitating Babadilla’s release and thanked Egypt and Qatar “for their crucial roles in this process in recent weeks.”
G7 is pushing for the release of all hostages and easier departure for foreign nationals
WASHINGTON – The G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain and the United States, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, are calling for the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and the facilitated departure of foreign nationals from Gaza, a statement said US State Department statement.
The G7 also said it supported the further extension of the current pause in fighting.
“We remain committed to working with all partners in the region to prevent further escalation of the conflict,” the statement said.
SEVERAL TONNES OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND FOOD FLOWN TO EGYPT FOR GAZA
WASHINGTON – White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the U.S. has flown more than 54,000 pounds of medical supplies and food aid for the Gaza Strip to a staging area in Egypt.
Two more airlifts are planned in the coming days, Sullivan said. Since October 21, more than 2,000 trucks have brought aid to Gaza, he said.
CURSED FAMILIES SAVE WHAT THEY CAN FROM DESTROYED HOUSES IN GAZA
JOHOR AL-DEEK, Gaza Strip – Displaced Palestinian families in Gaza took advantage of a lull in fighting on Tuesday to search for their abandoned possessions, with some sifting through the rubble where their homes once stood.
While the temporary ceasefire has halted Israeli airstrikes, homeless families in central Gaza’s Johor al-Deek said they were struggling to stay warm.
“Winter has come and I have nothing for her to wear,” Hanan Tayeh said as she searched for belongings buried beneath her flattened home. “It’s cold, we’re homeless.”
According to the UN humanitarian agency, about 1.8 million people are displaced in Gaza, about three-quarters of the population of the besieged area.
Over the past two weeks the weather has changed, with rain and cold winds sweeping across the area. Some areas were affected by flooding.
“There is no home, as if it has been erased from the map,” said Yaser Felfel. “I have six children, we are eight members, where are we going?”
Israel releases 30 Palestinian prisoners
Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday, the fifth day of its temporary ceasefire with Hamas.
Early Tuesday, Hamas released 12 hostages the group had held captive since Oct. 7.
Since last Friday, Hamas has released 81 hostages, mostly Israeli nationals, while Israel has released 180 Palestinian prisoners. The exchange is part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement between the warring parties.
Israel says 12 hostages freed by Hamas have arrived in Egypt
The Israeli army announced Tuesday that 10 Israelis and two Thais held hostage in Gaza were released and arrived in Egypt on the fifth day of a temporary ceasefire.
According to the Israeli army, Hamas released nine women and a 17-year-old girl on Tuesday evening. The hostages are flown to hospitals in Israel where they will be reunited with their families.
Around 30 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released under the deal negotiated between Qatar, Egypt and the United States. The original four-day ceasefire, which expired on Monday, was extended by another two days.
Turkey plans field hospitals in GAZA
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s health minister said Tuesday his country hopes to soon set up field hospitals and begin providing health services in Gaza.
Fahrettin Koca made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, hours after a Turkish delegation entered Gaza from Egypt to inspect possible sites for field hospitals. He did not provide any further information.
Turkey sent a ship carrying medical equipment and supplies, including ambulances and eight field hospitals, to Egypt earlier this month.
ISRAEL AND HAMAS exchange accusations of ceasefire violation
TEL AVIV, Israel – For the first time since the ceasefire began last Friday, Israel and Hamas have leveled allegations of a serious violation. The Israeli military said three explosive devices were detonated near its troops in two locations in the northern Gaza Strip and that militants at one location opened fire on the troops, who fired back. It said its troops were in positions consistent with the terms of the ceasefire.
Hamas, in turn, accused Israel of committing a “flagrant violation of the ceasefire,” triggering retaliation from its fighters, without giving details. A statement said it “remains committed to a ceasefire as long as the enemy is committed to it” and called on mediators to intervene.
It was not immediately clear whether the exchange posed a threat to the ceasefire. But it highlighted the fragility of the ceasefire in the northern Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces and Hamas fighters are holding positions in close proximity to one another, each preparing for a possible resumption of fighting if the ceasefire ends.
The sides agreed to extend their ceasefire until Wednesday, with two more exchanges of hostages held by militants for Palestinians detained by Israel planned. But Israel has vowed to continue the war with “full force” to destroy Hamas once it is clear that no more hostages will be released under the deal.
The family of a toddler hostage plead for his release as the ceasefire comes to an end
TEL AVIV, Israel – Kfir Bibas has spent almost a fifth of his life in Hamas captivity.
The 10-month-old son was abducted from his home in a southern Israeli kibbutz on October 7 when Palestinian militants kidnapped about 240 people and dragged them to Gaza.
Kfir, the youngest prisoner, was among about 30 children taken hostage in the Hamas attack. Under a recent temporary ceasefire, Hamas has released women, children and teenagers, but Kfir is not on the list of people to be released.
With his red hair and toothless smile, Kfir’s ordeal has become a symbol for many of the brutality of Hamas’ attack. With most of the other young hostages already released, Kfir’s fate and that of his four-year-old brother Ariel is now a rallying cry for the Israelis, who are demanding an early release of all hostages. A demonstration in support of the Bibas family will take place in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
“There is no precedent for something like this, with a baby kidnapped at nine months old,” Eylon Keshet, the cousin of Kfir’s father, told reporters on Tuesday. “Is Baby Kfir the enemy of Hamas?”
Kfir Bibas’ family, like other relatives of prisoners, has been tormented since October 7th. They have received no sign that he is still alive and wonder how such a helpless infant can survive in captivity for so long.
CIA director holds talks in Qatar about extending ceasefire and releasing more hostages
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Officials say CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, are in Qatar for talks about extending the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and releasing more hostages.
Qatar played a key role in mediating with Hamas and helped broker a ceasefire that came into effect on Friday and was extended until Wednesday. So far, Hamas has released 69 hostages, including 51 Israelis, and Israel has released 150 Palestinian prisoners.
A diplomat confirmed that Burns and Barnea were in Qatar on Tuesday and spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. The diplomat said officials from Egypt, which also acted as a mediator, had joined the talks.
A U.S. official confirmed that Burns was in Qatar and spoke on condition of anonymity because the CIA director’s travel plans are not made public for security reasons. The official said Burns was in Qatar to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict and the hostages.
Burns is expected to focus on freeing the Americans among the hostages and continuing releases overall, which could result in the release of more male hostages and the first known Israeli security forces, the U.S. official said.
The Washington Post first reported on the meeting in Qatar.
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By Isabel Debre in Jerusalem and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
THAI FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH 17 RELEASED THAILAND HOSTAGES
JERUSALEM – Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met Wednesday with Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara and 17 Thai citizens who were released after more than 50 days of captivity in Gaza.
“I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to finally meet our fellow Thais who were released just a few days ago,” Parnpree wrote on X, formerly called Twitter. “They are in good spirits and ready to go home to their loved ones.”
The 17 Thais released in recent days are currently in Shamir Medical Center outside Tel Aviv. An estimated 15 Thais remain captive in the Gaza Strip.
According to Cohen, 39 Thai citizens were killed on October 7 when Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking the current Hamas-Israel war and taking about 240 people hostage. Previously, about 30,000 Thais worked in Israel, mostly in agriculture.
Fifty Israeli hostages were released as part of an initial four-day ceasefire that was extended until Wednesday. In separate negotiations, another 19 hostages were released, including 17 Thais, a Filipino and a Russian Israeli. So far, 150 Palestinians have been released from Israeli prisons. Israel has announced that it will extend the ceasefire by one day for every ten more hostages released.
The US urges Israel to reduce the displacement of civilians in the southern Gaza Strip
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration has told Israel it must work to prevent “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in the southern Gaza Strip as it renews its ground campaign to destroy the militant Hamas group, senior U.S. officials said.
To avoid further large civilian casualties or mass displacements like those seen before the current temporary pause in fighting, the administration stressed to Israelis that it needed to be far more precise in southern Gaza than in the north, officials and briefed reporters said on condition of anonymity, according to statements released by the White House established basic rules.
Amid mounting international and domestic pressure over the rising Palestinian death toll, the White House has begun putting greater pressure on Israel to “carefully consider” the nature of the upcoming election campaign, one of the officials said. Israelis were receptive when government officials raised these concerns, the official said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that Israel Defense Forces will eventually resume military operations following the conclusion of the current temporary ceasefire.
President Joe Biden has said he would like to see the pause – which has allowed for an exchange of hostages and prisoners and a surge in urgently needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza – to continue as long as possible.
DIALYSIS UNIT REOPENED AT SHIFA HOSPITAL
CAIRO – Gaza’s Ministry of Health announces that the dialysis unit at Shifa Hospital has reopened and is accepting patients.
In a brief statement on Tuesday, the ministry urged patients to resume treatment.
Earlier this month, Israeli troops raided Shifa, the region’s largest hospital, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of patients and thousands of displaced people who had sought refuge there. The hospital ran out of food, water and electricity and could no longer accept patients.
Israel says Hamas used the hospital for military purposes. The military revealed a secret tunnel leading to several rooms beneath the complex, as well as other evidence of an alleged militant presence. Hamas and hospital staff have rejected Israeli claims that Hamas maintained a large command and control center there.
According to the World Health Organization, there are still 180 patients, including 22 on kidney dialysis, and seven health care workers in Shifa.
The current ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has allowed some aid and supplies to enter Gaza.
FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER DESCRIBES “DIFFICULT” HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS
PARIS – France’s foreign minister has offered a behind-the-scenes look at what she called the “difficult” hostage release negotiations between Israel and Hamas brokered by Qatar, expressing relief that three French citizens were among the latest group to be held on Monday was replaced.
“You don’t know until the very last moment. “Lists are exchanged, but afterwards there were often difficulties,” said European and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on RTL radio on Tuesday.
She said there had been “concerns and questions for part of the day” on Monday about the recent exchange and that she had spoken to ministerial colleagues from several Arab countries to move the process forward. Ultimately, “everything went well. Yes, I don’t want to hide that, at the end of the day there is a big “poof” of relief.”
The three French citizens released on Monday were all children aged 12 and 16. Five citizens, some believed to have been held hostage, are still missing in France since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked its deadliest and most destructive war.
UN chief calls for long-term ceasefire and release of all hostages
UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations chief has reiterated his call for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Palestinian militants.
In a statement on Tuesday ahead of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Palestinians were living through “one of the darkest chapters” of their history.
Guterres again condemned Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which sparked Gaza’s fifth and by far deadliest war, but said it “cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
He called for “a long-term humanitarian ceasefire, full access for life-saving assistance, the release of all hostages, the protection of civilians and an end to violations of international humanitarian law.”
Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the temporary ceasefire until Wednesday, with further releases of hostages held by militants and Palestinians detained in Israel planned. But Israel has vowed to restart the war to destroy Hamas once the hostage release stops.
Relatives of Israelis killed by Hamas seek support in Australia
CANBERRA, Australia – Relatives and a friend of Israelis kidnapped and killed by Hamas visited Australia’s Parliament House on Tuesday and shared personal stories to lobby for international support for the release of all hostages – and to support Israel’s war effort.
The five-member group will meet political leaders during a two-day visit to Canberra.
“Our first goal is to get all the hostages back,” Elad Levy told reporters outside the parliament building. Levy’s niece, Roni Eshel, was a 19-year-old soldier who was initially believed to have been kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7 invasion of Israel, but whose death was confirmed weeks later.
“Our second goal is to gain the support of the Australian people and government … for Israel’s actions to eradicate Hamas and for our current military actions to eradicate Hamas,” Levy said.
Australia’s major political parties have supported Israel’s right to self-defense, but called on Israel to comply with international law and limit the number of casualties in Gaza not involved in the fighting.
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An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the Filipino-Israeli woman who was released from captivity on Tuesday. It’s Noralin Babadilla, not Noralyn.