Hamas has released Israeli-American captive Edan Alexander, 21, “paving the way” for a return to ceasefire talks for the war-battered Gaza Strip, the Palestinian group says.
Gaza’s entire population is at critical risk of famine and half a million Palestinians in the besieged territory face starvation, according to the world’s leading hunger monitor.
Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza, killing at least 17 people at a school-turned-shelter as the total blockade of the Strip enters its 71st day.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 52,862 Palestinians and wounded 119,648, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Government Media Office updated the death toll to more than 61,700, saying thousands of people missing under the rubble are presumed dead.
An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
