DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to debate the subsequent levels of the delicate Gaza ceasefire, whereas Israel returned the stays of one other 15 Palestinians.
The stays of 4 hostages are nonetheless in Gaza after Palestinian militants launched the stays of one other on Sunday.
The primary stage of the ceasefire settlement that took impact on Oct. 10 is nearing its finish. The subsequent stage requires the implementation of a governing physique for Gaza and the deployment of a world stabilization drive. It isn’t clear the place both stands.
Israel ended the earlier ceasefire settlement earlier this yr after a interval of exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. On the time, mediators have been unable to convey Hamas and Israel to the desk to barter a troop withdrawal and a plan for the longer term governance of Gaza.
The most recent alternate of our bodies
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For every Israeli hostage returned, Israel has been releasing the stays of 15 Palestinians — an alternate central to the ceasefire’s first part. The Gaza Health Ministry stated the whole variety of stays acquired is now 315.
Solely 91 have been recognized, the ministry stated. Forensic work is sophisticated by a scarcity of DNA testing kits in Gaza. The ministry posts photographs of the stays on-line within the hope that households will acknowledge them.
One mom waited at Nasser Hospital within the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, questioning whether or not her lacking 15-year-old son was among the many new stays returned. He disappeared whereas on the best way to highschool on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an assault on Israel that began the warfare.
“Rayyan has been missing for two years. I don’t know his fate, whether he’s still alive or dead,” Shaima Abu Ouda stated. She stated he vanished close to the wall separating Gaza and southern Israel. Her husband and eldest son have been killed throughout the warfare.
On Sunday, Israel confirmed it had acquired the stays of Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed within the Gaza Strip in 2014, closing a painful chapter for the nation. The 23-year-old was killed two hours after a ceasefire took impact in that yr’s warfare between Israel and Hamas.
His stays had been the one ones left in Gaza predating the present warfare between Israel and Hamas. A funeral was scheduled for Tuesday.
Round 1,200 folks, principally civilians, have been killed within the 2023 Hamas-led assault on Israel, and 251 folks have been kidnapped.
On Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry stated the variety of Palestinians killed in Gaza has risen to 69,176. Its rely doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, however the ministry says greater than half of these killed have been ladies and youngsters.
The ministry, a part of the Hamas-run authorities and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed information considered as usually dependable by unbiased specialists.
U.S. officers attempt to push ceasefire ahead
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Netanyahu and Kushner mentioned the progress and way forward for the ceasefire, stated Israeli authorities spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian.
The deal has centered on the primary part of halting the preventing, releasing all hostages and boosting humanitarian assist to Gaza. Particulars of the second part haven’t been labored out.
Kushner additionally was serving to to steer negotiations to safe protected passage for 150-200 trapped Hamas militants in alternate for surrendering their weapons after the discharge of Goldin’s stays, based on somebody near the negotiations who spoke on situation of anonymity to explain the talks.
Bedrosian didn’t say the place these negotiations have been headed.
Hamas has made no touch upon a doable alternate for its fighters caught within the so-called yellow zone of territory managed by Israeli forces, although it has acknowledged that clashes have been happening there.
West Financial institution village faces demolition
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Palestinians within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution village of Umm al-Khair, which was featured within the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was bracing Monday for the arrival of Israeli army bulldozers.
The documentary chronicles villagers’ makes an attempt to outlive state-backed demolitions and rampant violence from Israeli settlers.
Residents say Israel has ordered the demolition of 14 buildings, together with the neighborhood heart, greenhouse and household properties. A press launch from the neighborhood stated the demolitions may start Tuesday.
Israel says the buildings have been constructed illegally. Residents, decided to remain on their land, say it’s not possible to safe permits to construct within the West Financial institution, leaving them little selection however to rebuild their properties following demolitions.
Bimkom, an Israeli rights group that focuses on city planning, says that between 2016 and 2021 Israel rejected 99% of Palestinian requests for constructing permits in Space C of the West Financial institution, the place Umm al-Khair is positioned.
The village was based within the Nineteen Fifties by historically nomadic folks, generally known as Bedouin, who settled there after being uprooted from the Negev desert throughout the 1948 warfare surrounding Israel’s creation. 20 years later, Umm al-Khair fell underneath Israeli safety management when Israel captured the West Financial institution.
Settler assaults, residents say, started within the Nineteen Eighties, after Israel constructed the settlement of Carmel near Umm al-Khair.
Earlier this yr, an internationally sanctioned Israeli settler shot and killed a neighborhood chief, Awdah Hathaleen, as he was standing contained in the neighborhood heart slated for demolition.
