Middle East latest: Hamas to release American-Israeli hostage as Israeli strike in Gaza kills 16
By The Associated Press
The Hamas militant group said it would release the last living American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza on Monday as as Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in the Gaza Strip killed at least 16 people in the embattled enclave, mostly women and children.
At least five children and four women were among those killed in the strike on a school in the Jabaliya area, the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service said. It also said that a number of people were wounded.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its fighters operate in densely populated areas. There was no immediate comment on the latest strike.
The attack came as U.S. President Donald Trump is heading to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this week.
After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where its 10-week blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis.
Here is the latest:
Health officials in Gaza says bodies of 33 people brought to hospitals over the past day
Bodies of 33 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to Gaza hospitals over the past 24 hours, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Monday.
Hospitals also received 94 wounded, the ministry said in its daily report. The dead included four bodies that were recovered from under the rubble, it said.
The new deaths brought the death toll from the Israel-Hamas war to 52,862, the ministry said, while 119,648 have been wounded.
It said the tally includes 2,749 dead and 7,607 wounded since Israel resumed the war in March, shattering a nearly 2-month ceasefire.
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says more than half of the dead were women and children.
Israel asks top international court to revoke Netanyahu arrest warrant over appeal
Israel has filed a request with the International Criminal Court to have arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, withdrawn.
In a filing made public over the weekend, Israel asks The Hague-based court revoke the warrants after an appeal last month ordered a pretrial panel to reconsider jurisdiction but did not suspend the warrants.
Israel says that the court did not have the legal authority to issue arrest warrants in November.
The warrants allege that Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for crimes against humanity in the Gaza war. Israel, which is not a member of the court and rejects its jurisdiction, strongly refutes the allegations.
In a new, 14-page request, Israel argues that failing to revoke the warrants “risks depriving two individuals of their liberty on an unlawful basis.”
Hamas says American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza will be released during the day
The Hamas militant group says it will release an American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza on Monday. The group announced on Sunday that it would free Edan Alexander, the last living American-Israeli hostage held in Gaza, as a goodwill gesture for the Trump administration.
Alexander, an Israeli soldier, was taken captive on Oct. 7, 2023.
Family of Israeli-American hostage set to be freed expresses joy and thanks Trump
Edan Alexander’s family said in a statement that it “received the greatest gift imaginable — news that our beautiful son Edan is returning home after 583 days in captivity in Gaza.”
Alexander’s parents, who live in the United States, were making their way to Israel ahead of the expected release.
The family said it was deeply grateful to Trump and his administration for their efforts to secure their Edan’s release.
It also urged the Israeli government to continue efforts to free all the hostages. “Please don’t stop. We hope our son’s release begins negotiations for all 58 remaining hostages, ending this nightmare for them and their families.”
Some families of hostages uneasy over the planned release of American-Israeli hostage
The relatives of Israeli hostages have welcomed the announcement that an American-Israeli hostage would be freed by Hamas as a gesture to President Trump — but there is also unease.
Some said Alexander was singled out for freedom because of his American citizenship and said they were worried about the fate of the other 23 living and roughly 35 dead captives who remain in Gaza.
“Trump is rescuing him. Who will rescue Gali and Ziv?,” Maccabit Mayer, the aunt of sibling hostages Gali and Ziv Berman, told Israeli Army Radio on Monday. She said she was sorry the twin brothers don’t have “the right citizenship.”
Also, some of the relatives accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not doing enough to free their loved ones, saying his insistence on continuing the war in Gaza is politically motivated.
Hamas says it will release last living American hostage in Gaza in a ceasefire effort
Hamas says the last living American hostage in Gaza will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume aid delivery to the battered enclave.
Two Hamas officials have told The Associated Press they expect the release of Edan Alexander in the next 48 hours.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed in a message to the AP that Hamas has agreed to release Alexander as a good will gesture toward Trump.
The announcement of the first hostage release since Israel shattered a ceasefire in March comes shortly before Trump visits the Middle East this week. Alexander is an Israeli-American soldier who grew up in the United States.
Famine looms as Israel presses its blockade of Gaza
Hospital patients are among the most vulnerable as Palestinians across Gaza struggle to feed themselves.
Israel’s blockade on food and other supplies entering the territory is now in its third month and hospitals are unable to provide food. Families must bring whatever they can find to help loved ones recover and doctors say patients have lost weight in recent weeks.
Aid groups say malnutrition is on the rise across Gaza. Food distributions have ended and charity kitchens are rapidly closing. Markets are empty of almost everything but canned goods and small amounts of vegetables, and prices have been rising.
