Summary
It is just after 6pm in Gaza and Tel Aviv. Here is a recap of the key events from today:
Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military said. The four hostages, three male and one woman, had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival on 7 October and were taken to hospital for medical checks, Reuters reports. The army said it rescued Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, in a complex special daytime operation in Nuseirat, AP reported.
An Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon killed two people, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported on Saturday. Israel’s IDF said in a statement that its soldiers had identified a Hezbollah militant in the area of Aitaroun and shortly afterward an Israeli aircraft had struck the individual.
US president Joe Biden welcomed the return of four Israeli hostages rescued alive in Gaza. Speaking at a news conference with the French president, Emmanuel Macon, Biden said he joined his host in welcoming the return of the hostages and vowed, “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached.”
The Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said that special forces operated under heavy fire and in a complex urban environment when rescuing four hostages from Hamas in Gaza on Saturday.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel does not give into terrorism and that it is operating “creatively and bravely” to bring home the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. “We are committed to do so in the future as well. We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages - both those alive and dead,” Netanyahu said.
Bodies of at least 55 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Al-Nuseirat and other areas in central Gaza, and dozens wounded, in the attacks, arrived on Saturday at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, the health ministry said. The hospital, one of the only hospitals still functioning in Gaza, has been currently operating via one power generator and could go out of service while dozens of injured were still on the streets, a spokesperson from the health ministry said in front of the hospital.
At least 36,801 Palestinians have been killed and more than 83,680 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the health ministry in Gaza said in a statement on Saturday.
Israel says more than 130 hostages remain, with about a quarter of those believed dead, and divisions are deepening in the country over the best way to bring them home.
Israel cannot force its choices on Hamas and the group will accept no deal that does not achieve security for Palestinians, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Saturday in response to an Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s al-Nuseirat area.
The Israeli military said on Saturday in a rare statement that it was targeting militant infrastructure in Gaza’s Nuseirat area and Gaza’s health ministry reported dozens of people hurt.
A war cabinet minister looks set to carry through on his threat to quit a government under mounting pressure over its conduct of the military campaign. The office of war cabinet member Benny Gantz has announced a news conference for Saturday, the deadline he gave Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month to approve a postwar plan for Gaza.
Benny Gantz later delayed a statement he was due to give later on Saturday where he was expected to announce his resignation from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government.
Humanitarian aid entering Gaza by sea via a US-built pier will resume in the coming days, the Israeli military said on Saturday, after repairs to the structure were completed. “The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has begun securing the coastal area of the US military’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability – in Gaza. The pier’s re-establishment will allow for the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza in the coming days,” the Israeli military said.
Thank you for following our live coverage. You can find more about the Israel-Gaza war here.
An Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon killed two people, Lebanese state news agency NNA reported on Saturday.
Israel’s IDF said in a statement that its soldiers had identified a Hezbollah militant in the area of Aitaroun and shortly afterward an Israeli aircraft had struck the individual.
Israeli forces launched two missiles targeting a cafe at a petrol station which resulted in major damage to the shop, the station and the surrounding area, the NNA report said.
The conflict between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel, which has been fought in parallel to the Gaza war, has intensified in recent days, adding to concerns that an even wider confrontation could break out between the heavily armed adversaries.
The IDF said on Saturday that jets had also struck infrastructure in the area of Khiam after tanks had earlier fired at a Hezbollah military structure in the Kfarkela area.
Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, says its attacks aim to support Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, Reuters reports.
Israel cannot force its choices on Hamas and the group will accept no deal that does not achieve security for Palestinians, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Saturday in response to an Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s al-Nuseirat area.
US president Joe Biden welcomed the return of four Israeli hostages rescued alive in Gaza.
Speaking at a news conference with the French president, Emmanuel Macon, Biden said he joined his host in welcoming the return of the hostages and vowed, “We won’t stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached.”
The Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said that special forces operated under heavy fire and in a complex urban environment when rescuing four hostages from Hamas in Gaza on Saturday.
In a statement from his office, Gallant said:
Our troops showed so much courage – operating under heavy fire in the most complex urban environment in Gaza.
This is one of the most heroic and extraordinary operations I have witnessed over the course of 47 years serving in Israel’s defence establishment.
Here are some more of the latest images of the released hostages:
Watch: the moment Noa Argamani was reunited with her father after months as a hostage
A video shared on social media shows the moment Israeli hostage Noa Argamani was reunited with her father after being rescued from central Gaza by Israeli forces.
Updated
Netanyahu says Israel does not give into terror, committed to free all hostages
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel does not give into terrorism and that it is operating “creatively and bravely” to bring home the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“We are committed to do so in the future as well. We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages – both those alive and dead,” Netanyahu said.
Updated
Bodies of at least 55 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Al-Nuseirat and other areas in central Gaza, and dozens wounded, in the attacks, arrived on Saturday at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, the health ministry said.
The hospital, one of the only hospitals still functioning in Gaza, has been currently operating via one power generator and could go out of service while dozens of injured were still on the streets, a spokesperson from the health ministry said in front of the hospital.
Israeli forces rescued four hostages alive in a special operation from two separate locations in the central Gaza area of Al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the military said.
Updated
We are starting to see photos coming through of the released hostages and their loved ones’ reactions.
Israel cannot force its choices on Hamas and the group will accept no deal that does not achieve security for Palestinians, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Saturday in response to an Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s al-Nuseirat area.
Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from two separate locations in the central Gaza area of al-Nuseirat on Saturday, the military said.
Senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters after the announcement that “regaining four captives after nine months of fighting is a sign of failure not an achievement.”
Hundreds of Israeli troops took part in a special operation held under fire to rescue four hostages alive from Hamas captors in Gaza, Israel’s chief military spokesperson said on Saturday.
The operation was weeks in the planning and one police officer was badly hurt, Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said in a televised news conference.
The hostages were held in two houses in a residential neighbourhood of al-Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.
At least 36,801 Palestinians have been killed and more than 83,680 have been injured in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the health ministry in Gaza said in a statement on Saturday.
More than 70 Palestinians were killed and 150 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry added.
Israeli minister Benny Gantz delays statement in which he was expected to resign
Israel’s centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has delayed a statement he was due to give later on Saturday where he was expected to announce his resignation from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government.
Last month, Gantz presented the conservative prime minister with a 8 June deadline to come up with a clear day-after strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been pressing a devastating military offensive against the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas.
But following news that Israeli forces had rescued four Israeli hostages alive from Gaza, the minister’s spokespeople said his statement would be postponed. They did not give a new time for the address, in which political commentators in leading Israeli newspapers said he was expected to announce his resignation, Reuters reports.
Updated
Here are some images of the hostages and their family and friends embracing after their release:
Noa Argamani
Almog Meir Jan
Shlomi Ziv
Andrey Kozlov
Updated
Noa Argamani, 25, was one of the four hostages rescued. Argamani, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was also kidnapped from the festival. Video footage – verified by her father, Yaakov Argamani, to Israel’s Channel 12 – shows the 25-year-old being taken away on the back of a motorbike screaming, “Don’t kill me!”
Updated
Israel says more than 130 hostages remain, with about a quarter of those believed dead, and divisions are deepening in the country over the best way to bring them home.
Four hostages rescued from central Gaza Strip
Israeli forces have rescued four hostages alive from the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military said.
The four hostages, three male and one woman, had been kidnapped from the Nova music festival on 7 October and were taken to hospital for medical checks, Reuters reports.
The army said it rescued Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, in a complex special daytime operation in Nuseirat, AP reported.
Updated
The Israeli military said on Saturday in a rare statement that it was targeting militant infrastructure in Gaza’s Nuseirat area and Gaza’s health ministry reported dozens of people hurt.
It is unusual for Israel’s military to inform about its actions while its operations are still under way, Reuters reports.
Israeli war cabinet minister poised to resign over military campaign
A war cabinet minister looks set to carry through on his threat to quit a government under mounting pressure over its conduct of the military campaign.
The office of war cabinet member Benny Gantz has announced a news conference for Saturday, the deadline he gave Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month to approve a postwar plan for Gaza.
Israeli media have speculated that Gantz, a centrist former military chief who had been one of Netanyahu’s main rivals before joining the war cabinet, was likely to carry through on a threat to resign.
However, any such move is not expected to affect the stability of Netanyahu’s government, a coalition of his right-wing Likud with far-right and ultra-orthodox Jewish parties.
Updated
Humanitarian aid entering Gaza by sea via a US-built pier will resume in the coming days, the Israeli military said on Saturday, after repairs to the structure were completed.
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] has begun securing the coastal area of the US military’s Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) capability – in Gaza. The pier’s re-establishment will allow for the continued delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza in the coming days,” the Israeli military said.
The US Central Command said on Friday it had re-established the temporary pier anchored off Gaza’s coast, which had been temporarily removed after part of the structure broke off, two weeks after it started operating, Reuters reports.
Here are some of the latest images from the news wires:
Fresh from commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-day, French President Emmanuel Macron will host US president Joe Biden on Saturday for a state visit marked by pomp and a parade as well as talks on trade, Israel and Ukraine.
The two men, who share a warm relationship despite past tensions over a submarine deal with Australia, will participate in a welcoming ceremony with their wives at the iconic Arc de Triomphe and a parade down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees before holding a meeting about policy issues and then attending dinner.
According to Reuters, the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters earlier this week:
France is … our oldest and one of our deepest allies. And this will be an important moment to affirm that alliance and also look to the future and what we have to accomplish together.
Sullivan said talks between the two men would touch on Russia’s war with Ukraine, Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and policy issues ranging from climate change to artificial intelligence to supply chains.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the countries would announce a plan to work together on maritime law enforcement and the US Coast Guard and French navy would discuss increased cooperation.
During a speech at the American Cemetery in Normandy on Thursday, the anniversary of the allied assault against Nazi German occupiers on French beaches in the second world war, Biden called on western powers to stay the course with Ukraine.
Opening summary
We are restarting our live coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and wider Middle East conflict. Here’s a snapshot of the latest key developments.
Israel bombarded central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip again on Friday, killing at least 28 Palestinians, Reuters reports, as tank forces advanced to the western edges of Rafah.
Tanks were stationed in the al-Izba district near the Mediterranean coast in Gaza’s southernmost city while snipers had commandeered some buildings and high ground, trapping people in their homes, residents said.
Health officials in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said two Palestinians had been killed and several wounded in western Rafah from tank shelling there. In central Gaza, Palestinian medics said Israeli bombardments killed at least 15 people overnight to Friday.
The strikes came as a renewed push for a ceasefire in the war stalled amid reports that US-backed Qatari and Egyptian mediators had stepped up efforts for a deal.
In north Gaza, three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza City school building that was sheltering displaced families, rescue workers said.
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas gunmen operating from a container inside the school premises, similar to its explanation for an airstrike on a UN school building in al-Nuseirat in central Gaza on Thursday which medics said killed 40 people.
In other news:
The United Nations has added Israel to the global list of states and armed groups who have committed violations against children, according to the country’s UN envoy, Gilad Erdan. News of Israel’s inclusion on the list followed eight months of war on Gaza, in which more than 13,000 children are estimated to be among the 36,500 killed, and came a day after the Israeli bombing of the UN school at al-Nuseirat. According to human rights officials, Hamas is also named in the report for its killing and kidnapping of children in its 7 October attack on Israel, in which nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Osama al-Kahlut of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said “occupation forces and snipers” east of Deir al-Balah were firing on people along Gaza’s main thoroughfare.“Gunfire on Salaheddin Street has severely restricted people’s movement, and several wounded people have been evacuated from the area,” he told Agence France-Presse.
A key section of the US military-built pier designed to carry aid into Gaza by boat has been reconnected to the Gaza beach after storm damage repairs, and aid will begin to flow soon, US Central Command (Centcom) said on Friday. The section that connects to the beach – the causeway – was rebuilt nearly two weeks after heavy storms damaged it and abruptly halted the delivery route. Humanitarian aid is expected to begin moving into Gaza through the maritime route in the coming days.
“We have normalised horror,” said Sam Rose, the director of planning for the Palestinian relief agency Unrwa, after Thursday’s Israeli strike on the school. Mass casualty incidents caused by the Israeli military offensive in southern Gaza are becoming normalised in the west and leading to a sense of fatalism inside Gaza itself, Rose said as he returned to London after five weeks in Gaza.
More than 36,731 Palestinians have been killed and 83,530 have been injured since 7 October in Israel’s military offensive, the Gaza health ministry said. The Hamas-run ministry said on Friday that 77 Palestinians were killed and 221 injured over the past 24 hours.
Yemen’s Houthis have detained 11 Yemeni employees of UN agencies under unclear circumstances, authorities say, as the militia group faces increasing financial pressure and airstrikes from a US-led coalition. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said 11 UN staffers had been taken. People working for other aid groups also have been detained.
Benjamin Netanyahu will address the US Congress on 24 July “to build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel”, US political leaders have said in a statement. The Israeli prime minister’s appearance before a growingly divided Congress is sure to be contentious and likely to be met with protests both inside the Capitol from lawmakers and outside by pro-Palestinian protesters.
Unemployment in the Gaza Strip has reached nearly 80% since the war with Israel began last October, the UN labour agency has said, bringing the average unemployment rate across Palestinian territories to more than 50%. “Imagine with this very high level of unemployment, people will not be able to secure food for themselves and for their families,” said Ruba Jaradat, the ILO regional director for Arab states.
Updated
