Some contentions between Israel and Hamas concerns the separation of families during the release so that only part of a family will be returned to Israel – in breach of the agreement between the sides.
Elma’s daughter said in a press conference at Israel’s Soroka Hospital that her mother “was severely neglected medically.” According to her, when her mother returned to the country, she had a heart rate of 40 and a body temperature of 28 degrees celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit).
“She was forsaken twice – once on October 7 and the second time by all the organizations that were supposed to save her,” she added.
She further mentioned that her brother came to a meeting with a representative of the Red Cross ahead of Elma’s release and asked to hand over medications that she needed. “They told him no, we can’t take the medications,” she said.
The director of Soroka Hospital said that “Alma arrived in very severe condition when all vital signs were very low, which posed a danger to her life.” He added that she “suffers from many underlying diseases and required taking medicines regularly. It is clear to us that if she had not been transferred to us yesterday, her condition would have worsened even more.”
Hamas terrorists Adham and Ismail Hossah, who entered Israel on October 7, kidnapped Thai and Nepalese citizens from agricultural fields in Kibbutz Alumim, loaded them onto an ambulance, and drove to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
“I crossed the fence through a breach that allowed me to pass on foot. Then I climbed onto a white SUV and we drove until the community gate, which was closed. We climbed over the gate and entered the area with the rooms of the farmers,” one of them recounted during the interrogation.
“We brought the hostages into the ambulance, understood that both of them had the same citizenship, and most likely they were workers. We were told to drive with the ambulance to Al-Shifa Hospital,” he recounted. “The first hostage walked on his own, and we took him in walking. The second hostage was put in an elevator, and they carried him on a stretcher. From the injured hostage, I heard only one word – Thailand, Thailand.”
Amit Idan, whose niece, Avigail, 4, was released yesterday from Hamas captivity, said in an interview with the Ynet news website that her condition is okay, but she returned very tired.
“She is waiting to meet her siblings,” he added. Abigail’s parents, Smadar and Roy, were murdered during Hamas’ attack on October 7. Idan added that his niece doesn’t speak much. “She wants grape juice and snacks, that’s it. And to see the ones she loves the most. That’s all,” he said.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced during a tour of Kibbutz Be’eri with Israeli President Isaac Herzog that the German parliament intends to contribute seven million euros to the reconstruction of the burned Be’eri Gallery, which was completely destroyed in Hamas’ attack on October 7.
“It is not easy to find the words to describe what we heard from those who know and those who witnessed the actions, the murders, the killings, and the Hamas violence here on October 7. In these days of mourning, days when we think about the victims, we also think about the future,” said Steinmeier, adding that he intends to be an official partner in the project.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured this morning with billionaire Elon Musk in Kibbutz Kfar Azza which suffered heavy losses in Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack.
Netanyahu presented him with testimonies from the massacre that took place there. Musk also received a briefing from the head of the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, Yossi Keren, and a representative of the IDF spokesperson visited the Liebstein family’s home and a neighborhood in the kibbutz.
Varda Goldstein, the grandmother of the released hostages Agam, Gal, and Tal, spoke in interviews with television channels 12 and 13 on Sunday, sharing that they were aware of the tragic fate of their father Nadav and their eldest sister Yam, who were killed on October 7th.
“We were in very stressed because we didn’t know if they knew or not, that they were coming home without a father and without a sister. But the truth is, to my joy, they knew. Because that’s how they left home,” she said.
According to her, she cried tears of joy to see them smiling and in good condition, despite the sorrow for the loss of Nadav and Yam.
Goldstein added that her grandchildren recounted that their treatment in captivity was “more or less okay” and that when she met with them, they inquired about the situation in the kibbutz where they lived. “Kfar Azza is a strong kibbutz; it will be rebuilt in the next two years,” she added. “The State of Israel owes us, the residents of the Gaza periphery, and it must return them all home, and it must help us rebuild the communities.”
Recently released Israeli hostages who were held by Hamas spoke families whose loved ones are still detained in the Gaza Strip, updating them on the condition of the hostages and sharing details about their captivity.
According to these conversations, during their captivity, some hostages followed Israeli media and were informed about various events. For example, 9-year-old Ohad Munder heard birthday greetings for him on TV during his captivity. Other hostages knew that there was a birthday celebration for one of them in Israel and sent birthday wishes.
The conversations also reveal that one group of hostages spent the entire period in Hamas tunnels beneath the ground, where conditions were harsher in terms of lighting, food, and other aspects.
In the past two weeks, they had almost no food, mostly surviving on rice. Another group of hostages, likely staying in hideouts, experienced somewhat better conditions. The second group was more concerned about bombings, but even hostages staying underground mentioned hearing the sounds of explosions.
All 39 Palestinian prisoners and detainees released on Monday in the third round of the hostage deal with Hamas are males, and the majority of them are minors who were arrested for offenses such as stone-throwing, hurling Molotov cocktails, assaulting police officers, nationalist incitement, and supporting terrorism.
One of them is Ahmed Shiehah, a 17-year-old from Jerusalem, who threw stones at five police vehicles and was convicted of serious offenses, including aggravated assault of a police officer and supporting terrorism.
Ganem Abu Ganem, also 17 from Jerusalem, released yesterday, was arrested on suspicion of throwing a Molotov cocktail at a bus in the A-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The state attributes to him serious offenses of arson, incitement, and supporting terrorism.
Sources from Cabinet Minister Gantz’s National Unity party say party leader Benny Gantz will not leave the government following Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s intention to settle for only minor cuts in coalition funds.
“We met with Smotrich three times; we are trying to change the decision, but the chances are low,” said one of them. “Bibi [Benjamin Netanyahu] is afraid of Smotrich. It’s not a bilateral government, and we don’t have the power to prevent this from happening.”
The government plans to implement a new allocation of coalition funds on Monday, which were approved with the budget at the beginning of the year. Despite Smotrich and the Prime Minister’s Office claiming that coalition funds would be cut by 70%, according to the final proposal that will be presented to the government, the total volume of coalition funds in 2023 will reach 4.86 billion shekels, instead of the originally decided 5.82 billion shekels – meaning, in practice, a cut of less than 20% in 2023.
Margalit Moses of Kibbutz Nir Oz who was released from Hamas captivity over the weekend, was discharged from Wolfson Hospital in Holon on Monday. Moses, 78, expressed her gratitude to the medical staff who gathered to celebrate her discharge singing “Am Yisrael Chai” upon her release.
Elon Musk, owner of social media network X, is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog on Monday, amid a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
On Sunday, Israel’s Communication Minister Shlomo Karhi took to X, welcoming Musk and congratulating him “for reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry” over SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation over Israel and Gaza.
Yelena Magid, the aunt of Ron Krivoi, who was abducted to the Gaza Strip during Hamas’ attack on October 7 and released on Sunday, said that he told her he managed to escape from his captors in the Strip.
In an interview with Israeli public radio station Reshet Bet, she said that after several days of hiding alone, local residents identified him, captured him, and handed him over to the terrorists. “I think that because he didn’t have any way of understanding where he is and where to run he ran into trouble,” she added.
Palestinian sources state that one of the points of contention between Israel and Hamas regarding the list of prisoners and detainees expected to be released today pretains to the six security prisoners who were arrested before October 7th and remained in Israeli prisons.
The sources say that they were not included in the list Israel presented on Sunday, and it is unclear whether they will be released on Monday. Until October 7th, there were 38 Palestinian female prisoners in Israeli prisons, and 32 of them have already been released.
Apart from those six prisoners, there are dozens of other Palestinian women who were arrested, some without trial, after October 7th. Hamas is urging Israel to implement a “seniority principle,” meaning to release the prisoners held for the longest time first.
The Palestinian sources point out Nafooz Hammad, a 16-year-old from Sheikh Jarrah, who stabbed an Israeli woman living nearby two years ago and was convicted of attempted murder, as one of the names that arise in the context of the problems Hamas has with the list Israel provided. Last week, Hammad was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
According to the sources, there was an expectation for her release last Thursday along with the other veteran prisoners, and Qadura Fares, Head of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, said on the same day that she was expected to be released. However, she was not released, and sources say that in her family, “they do not know what is happening with her.”
Iran’s navy on Monday added a destroyer capable of launching cruise missiles to its Caspian Sea fleet, state media reported.
The 1,400-ton Deilaman destroyer, named for a town in north of Iran, is 95 meters (312 feet) long and 11 meters (36 feet) wide and is able to launch torpedoes while traveling at 30 knots (56 kph, 35 mph), the state-owned IRNA news agency said.
Deilaman can detect more than 100 targets, including vessels, drones, helicopters, submarines and aircraft, simultaneously, the report said.
During a ceremony marking the inauguration of Deilaman, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, chief of the Armed Forces General Staff called the Caspian a “sea of peace and friendship” and said Iran’s naval power there will serve “peace, security of commercial fleets, confronting terrorists and probable incidents in the future.”
This is the sixth warship Iran has commissioned in the Caspian Sea, the largest inland body of water in the world, shared by Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
A suspect was arrested in the shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont, CNN reported early on Monday, in an attack police are investigating as a suspected hate-motivated crime.
A man with a pistol shot and wounded the three victims on the street near the University of Vermont on Saturday evening and then ran away, Burlington police said earlier.
CNN reported that a suspect, identified as Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested on Sunday afternoon. Burlington police and the Mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment about an arrest.
An official briefed on the matter says mediators are working to resolve issues after Israel and Hamas have raised concerns over the lists of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners set to be released on Monday.
“There is a slight issue with today’s lists. The Qataris are working with both sides to resolve it and avoid delays,” the official said.
In the previous three days of the truce, Israel submitted the names of Palestinian women and teenagers it would release from jail and Hamas would submit the names of Israeli civilian hostages it would release at least 12 hours ahead of the release.
Officials who examined the list of Israeli hostages expected to be released on Monday identified issues with it; the families have not been updated yet.
Israel is examining a list it received of 11 hostages expected to be released from Hamas captivity on Monday.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told the Financial Times that Hamas needs to locate dozens of hostages, including women and children, held by civilians and factions in the Gaza Strip to extend the temporary ceasefire.
He says there are more than 40 women and children held in Gaza who are not in the hands of Hamas. “If they (Hamas) get additional women and children, there will be an extension,” said the Qatari Prime Minister, but he added that it is unclear how much Hamas can locate. “One of the goals (of the truce) is for them (Hamas) to have time to search for the rest of the missing,” Al-Thani added.
The Qatari Prime Minister also stated that the declared Israeli goal of eradicating Hamas from the Gaza Strip is not realistic. “In the end, the destruction of Hamas through the continuation of this war will never happen. It will only fuel the narrative of extremism and radicalization,” said Al-Thani. “We need a political solution that ensures the security of the Palestinian people and the Israeli people,” he added.
The Wall Street Journal reports that government officials in Egypt stated that Israel has received a list of 11 hostages expected to be released today from the Gaza Strip.
14 Israelis and three Thai citizens were released from Hamas captivity on Sunday, 51 days after being kidnapped to Gaza in Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel. 13 of the abductees were released as part of the third round of the exchange deal, including nine children. Another abductee, Ron Kariboi – who also has Russian citizenship, was released following talks between Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Additionally, three Thai citizens were released following talks between Hamas and the government in Bangkok. One of the abductees, 84-year-old Alma Avraham, was hospitalized at Soroka Hospital. The hospital reported that she is in life-threatening condition.
Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that it is seeking to extend its four-day truce with Israel should serious efforts be made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released from Israel.
Three Palestinian university students wearing keffiyehs were shot and seriously wounded in Burlington, Vermont. Their wounds are not considered to be life-threatening.
Local authorities have not confirmed a suspect or a motive, though the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee is pressing law enforcement to open a hate crimes investigation.
The three Palestinian students were graduates of a Quaker school in Ramallah called Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank. Their names are Tahseen Ahmad of Trinity College, Kinnan Hamid of Haverford College, and Hisham Awartani of Brown University.
“It is shocking and deeply upsetting that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation. My thoughts are with them and their families,” said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Hamas released 17 hostages on Sunday according to its cease-fire deal with Israel, including 14 Israelis and 3 Thai citizens. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel this week, amid talks for a possible extension of the cease-fire and the release of more hostages held by Hamas.
Here’s what you need to know 52 days into the war.
■ Seventeen hostages, 14 Israelis and 3 Thai nationals, were released by Hamas to the Red Cross and then transferred to Israel on Sunday. 200 aid trucks entered Gaza on Sunday via Egypt’s Rafah Crossing. 39 Palestinian prisoners are being released from Israeli jails.
■ One released Israeli hostage, 84-year-old Elma Avraham, was taken straight to hospital by helicopter in life-threatening condition.
■ The released hostages include 4 year-old Avigail Idan (both of her parents were murdered by Hamas on October 7; she holds both Israel and U.S. citizenship); the two children of Maayan Ziv, Dafna (15) and Ella (8) who witnessed the murder of their father Noam, his partner and her son; and 25 year-old Roni Krivoi, who holds dual Russian-Israeli citizenship
■ The uncle of 13-year-old Hila Rotem Shoshani, who was released Saturday with her friend Emily Hand, 9, said Hila had been held with her mother until a day prior to her release. Hila’s mother, Raaya Rotem, 54, remains a hostage in Gaza. The Hamas-Israel cease-fire deal stipulated that no children would be separated from their parents on release.
■ The Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel confirmed that the condition of the nine children and two mothers released on Sunday from Gaza is stable. A similar update was provided by the Wolfson Medical Center regarding another released hostage.
■ The three Thai hostages released in Gaza were in good health, Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said.
■ Hamas announced in a statement on Sunday that it is seeking to extend its four-day truce with Israel should serious efforts be made to increase the number of Palestinian detainees released from Israel.
■ The cease-fire is set to last for four days, during which 50 Israeli hostages are expected to be released in daily tranches, as well as 150 Palestinian prisoners.
■ The IDF will cease aerial activity over southern Gaza and limit activity in the north. Hamas will use the cease-fire to locate other hostages taken captive from Israel. Hundreds of aid trucks will enter Gaza during the truce.
■ PM Benjamin Netanyahu visited Gaza on Sunday, saying: “We are making every effort to bring back our hostages, and in the end, we will bring them all back.”
■ U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday that the U.S. aims to extend the cease-fire beyond Monday in order to facilitate the release of more hostages held by Hamas. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel this week, amid talks for a possible extension of the cease-fire and the release of more hostages from Hamas.
■ Biden spoke with family members of 4-year-old Israeli released by Hamas.
■ Three Palestinian university students wearing keffiyehs were shot and seriously wounded in Burlington, Vermont. Their wounds are not considered to be life-threatening. Local authorities have not confirmed a suspect or a motive, though the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee is pressing law enforcement to open a hate crimes investigation.
■ Billionaire Elon Musk, serial endorser of antisemites, is due to arrive in Israel on Monday and to meet PM Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and visit Gaza border communities. Musk recently announced that X/Twitter advertising revenue associated with the war in Gaza would be donated to hospitals in Israel and the Red Cross/Crescent in Gaza.
■ Hamas confirmed the death of four senior officers in Gaza in Israeli strikes before the cease-fire, including the commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade.
■ A delegation of relatives of hostages held by Hamas with Russian citizenship has left Israel for a five-day visit to Russia. They’re expected to meet with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov on Tuesday.
■ The IDF published documentation claiming to show a Hamas checkpoint preventing humanitarian aid convoys from reaching northern Gaza.
■ Five Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli security forces in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank overnight. The IDF said 21 wanted individuals were arrested during the raid.
■ Houthis boarded an Israeli-owned oil tanker off the Yemeni coast, AFP reported Sunday.
■ Israel struck Damascus International Airport, leading to its shutdown, Syrian state media reported.
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