By The Associated Press
The Israeli military has pulled out of Gaza’s main hospital after a two-week attack, stating that it had killed about 200 militants and captured many people while returning Palestinians described a large area of destruction.
After the withdrawal early Monday, hundreds of people returned to Shifa Hospital and the surrounding area and found bodies inside and outside of the facility.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the top military spokesman, said Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group had set up their main headquarters in the hospital. He described days of close-range fighting and blamed Hamas for the destruction, stating that some fighters had barricaded themselves inside hospital wards while others launched mortar rounds at the compound.
Israel’s conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 32,845 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its count, but says that women and children make up two-thirds of the deceased.
The conflict has displaced most of the territory’s population and pushed a third of its residents towards famine. Northern Gaza, where Shifa is situated, has faced significant destruction and has been largely isolated since October.
Currently:
— Palestinians report that Israeli soldiers have pulled out of Gaza’s main hospital after a 2-week attack
— Israeli citizens organize the biggest protest since the war began to put pressure on Netanyahu
— The US military says it destroyed Houthi drones over the Red Sea and in Yemen
— Pope overcomes health concerns to oversee Easter Mass and call for peace in Gaza and Ukraine
— Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest:
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos states that ships carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid have approached Gaza.
Kombos told The Associated Press on Monday that the three ships have been granted permission to start offloading cargo.
U.S. charity World Central Kitchen says the ships contain enough ready-to-eat items such as rice, pasta, flour, canned vegetables and proteins to make more than 1 million meals.
A special shipment of dates from the United Arab Emirates is also part of the aid. Dates are traditionally eaten to break the daily fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
Earlier this month, the Open Arms ship opened the direct sea route to the Palestinian territory after delivering 200 tons of food, water and other aid.
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military states that a “suspicious aerial target” hit a military base in the southern city of Eilat, causing light damage to a building.
The military did not reveal what hit the base but said there were no injuries and that its air defenses did not intercept the object.
An umbrella group of Iran-backed Iraqi militias claimed responsibility. The group, known as the Islamic Resistance of Iraq, did not provide further details.
The Israeli military said sirens went off early Monday in Eilat after the “suspicious aerial target” came from the east, and fell in the Gulf of Eilat.
Since the conflict with Hamas began on Oct. 7, Israel has been attacked by militant groups supporting the Palestinian cause from as far away as Yemen and Iraq. Most drones and missiles have been shot down, but occasionally they succeed in hitting their targets.
TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the controversial issue of military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews has gone into effect.
Last week, the court decided to stop funding to Jewish seminaries whose students have not shown up for the military draft. Monday was also the deadline for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to submit a bill addressing the widespread draft exemptions given to the ultra-Orthodox, but it was not expected to meet the deadline.
In Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jews are largely exempt from the country's mandatory military service, a controversial issue that has long divided the nation. Secular Israelis argue that the ultra-Orthodox should also share the responsibility of defending the country, a demand that has intensified during the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The ultra-Orthodox, however, believe that military conscription would threaten their devout way of life. They argue that they contribute to national service through prayer and living as observant Jews.
The Supreme Court found the current system of draft exemptions to be discriminatory.
But the enforcement of the ruling is not expected to cause immediate upheaval.
The Education Ministry is likely to suspend the monthly subsidies to the seminaries on Monday, although the government may seek flexible funding to fill the gaps. The ultra-Orthodox were not anticipated to be drafted en masse without a formal government plan.
The issue presents a challenge to Netanyahu’s government, which relies on two ultra-Orthodox parties for its stability. The ultra-Orthodox parties have not indicated their response if they lose their preferential status. However, if they choose to withdraw from the government, the coalition would almost certainly collapse and the country could be compelled to hold new elections, with Netanyahu trailing significantly in the polls amid the conflict.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli police have detained a relative of a senior Hamas leader in a raid on her home in the country’s south.
Police did not disclose the identity of the person arrested, but Israeli media reported that it was the sister of Hamas’ supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is known to have at least one sister living in Israel.
In a statement on Monday, police stated that the relative was suspected of having contact with Hamas members, endorsing a terror group, and supporting terrorist acts.
Police reported finding evidence at her residence, including documents and mobile phones. Photos released by the police from the early morning raid depicted officers wearing masks and tactical gear.
The arrest took place as Israel is engaged in negotiations facilitated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar in an effort to secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a ceasefire in the nearly six-month-old conflict.
Ismail Haniyeh resides in exile in Qatar.
TEL AVIV, Israel — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has successfully undergone hernia surgery, according to his office.
In a message early Monday shortly after the surgery, Netanyahu’s office said he was awake, feeling good and getting better. Netanyahu’s office had said the hernia was found during a routine checkup, and that the prime minister would be under full anesthesia and not conscious for the procedure.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close confidant who also holds the title of deputy prime minister, served as acting prime minister during the operation, the office said.
Netanyahu, 74, has maintained a full schedule throughout Israel’s nearly six-month-long war against Hamas, and his doctors have said he is in good health.
Last year, doctors admitted he had hidden a well-known heart issue after they put in a pacemaker.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian residents say the Israeli military has pulled out from Gaza’s main hospital after a two-week raid, leaving behind a large area of damage.
Hundreds of people returned to Shifa Hospital and the surrounding area after the withdrawal early Monday, where they found bodies inside and outside of the facility.
The military has described the raid as one of the most successful operations of the nearly six-month war, saying it killed scores of Hamas and other militants, as well as seizing valuable intelligence.
Mohammed Mahdi, who was among those who returned, described a scene of “total destruction.” He said several buildings had been burned down. He counted six bodies in the area, including two in the hospital courtyard.
Another resident, Yahia Abu Auf, said there were still patients, medical workers and displaced people sheltering inside the medical compound. He said several patients had been taken to the nearby Ahli Hospital. He said army bulldozers had plowed over a makeshift cemetery inside the hospital compound.
JERUSALEM — Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in central Jerusalem on Sunday in the biggest anti-government protest since the country went to war in October. Protesters urged the government to reach a cease-fire deal to free dozens of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants and to hold early elections.
Israeli society was largely united immediately after Oct. 7, when Hamas killed some 1,200 people during a cross-border attack and took 250 others hostage. Nearly six months of conflict have revived divisions over the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the country remains largely in favor of the war.
Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas and bring all the hostages home, yet those goals have been elusive. While Hamas has suffered heavy losses, it remains intact.
Roughly half the hostages in Gaza were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. But attempts by international mediators to bring home the remaining hostages have failed. Talks resumed on Sunday with no signs that a breakthrough was imminent.
Hostages’ families believe time is running out, and they are getting more vocal about their displeasure with Netanyahu.
“We believe that no hostages will come back with this government because they’re busy putting sticks in the wheels of negotiations for the hostages,” said Boaz Atzili, whose cousin, Aviv Atzili and his wife, Liat, were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Liat was released but Aviv was killed, and his body is in Gaza. “Netanyahu is only working in his private interests.”
