190 people rescued from Pakistani train after 450 passengers taken hostage
Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu via Getty Images
(LONDON) — At least 190 people have been rescued from a train in Pakistan as of Wednesday after it was attacked one day prior and hundreds were taken hostage by the militant Balochistan Liberation Army, according to a Pakistani military official.
At least 17 people have been injured and 30 terrorists, members of the BLA, have been killed as a military operation continues, according to the official.
On Tuesday, a U.S. official told ABC News at least 450 people were taken hostage on the train and said six Pakistani military personnel were killed.
The separatist militant group claimed it had taken 182 military and security personnel hostage on the train, according to a post on Telegram, but said they had released the majority of the civilians on board. The group claimed a higher number of casualties in the attack, saying they killed 20 Pakistani military personnel and shot down a drone.
The BLA had threatened to kill all the hostages if Pakistan’s military tries to rescue them, the official said.
The BLA blew up part of the track, forcing the train to stop, before they boarded and took control, according to the official.
The attack happened in mountainous area right before a tunnel, making a rescue very difficult, they said.
Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack and said the government would not make any concessions to “beasts who fire on innocent passengers.”
The train was trapped in a tunnel after the tracks were blown up and militants opened fire on it, reportedly injuring the driver, local authorities and police have told media.
The BLA believes the Balochistan region of Pakistan, in the country’s far west bordering Iran and Afghanistan, should be allowed to break off from Pakistan. They are well-known for committing terror attacks in Pakistan. The BLA also attacked Jaffar Express trains in August 2013 and October 2016.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LONDON) — Israel will not withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor — the border separating Egypt and Gaza — as stipulated by the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, an Israeli official confirmed to ABC News.
“We will not allow Hamas murderers to once again roam our borders with pickup trucks and guns, and we will not allow them to rebuild strength from smuggling,” an Israeli official said in a statement.
The Philadelphi corridor was one of the main sticking points in negotiations between Israel and Hamas for months before the current ceasefire deal was reached. This refusal could lead to a crisis with both Hamas and Egypt, the key mediator, at a delicate time for the already fragile truce.
Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi corridor — and the entire Gaza Strip — on Saturday, the last day of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel was to complete its withdrawal from the corridor within eight days.
Management of the corridor is a red line for Hamas, which had refused to accept ceasefire proposals that did not require Israel to withdraw its troops from the border region.
Israeli officials have said in recent months that they believed the Israeli army had to stay in the Philadelphi corridor to prevent weapons being smuggled through the Egyptian border, back into Gaza, though Israel has destroyed tunnels in that area.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said at a meeting with local leaders that he had seen tunnels penetrating the border on a recent visit to the corridor.
Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant had publicly opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel must remain in the corridor — and in the Netzarim corridor, which divides north and south Gaza — to maintain its security and achieve its military goals and maintain its security.
In August, then-Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said holding on to any part of Gaza or the Philadelphi corridor are conditions Israel should not use as an excuse to break a potential deal with Hamas. The Israeli army can deal with both being out of Gaza and giving up control of Philadelphi, according to Halevi.
The first phase of the ceasefire ends on Saturday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LONDON) — Germany’s defense minister criticized President Donald Trump for what he called “regrettable” concessions to Moscow, after the president unilaterally announced an immediate start to direct peace talks with President Vladimir Putin to end the Kremlin’s war on Ukraine.
Trump said in a post to social media on Wednesday that he spoke with Putin by phone, adding the two leaders “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately” to end the fighting in Ukraine after nearly three years of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Trump’s announcement came shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told allies that Ukraine cannot liberate all territory occupied by Russian forces and will not be given NATO security protection as part of any peace deal.
NATO ministers quickly pushed back. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was “regrettable” that “the Trump administration has already made public concessions to Putin before negotiations have even begun.”
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur concurred. “We must not hand Russia any advantage before negotiations even begin,” Pevkur said in a statement.
Moscow launched its attack in February 2022 with the aim of toppling Zelenskyy’s government in Kyiv and annexing swaths of the country. The “special military operation” — as the Kremlin termed the invasion — expanded on Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its fomentation of, and active military support for, separatist rebellion in parts of eastern Ukraine in 2014.
“I think we’re on the way to getting peace,” Trump said. The president did not clarify whether Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be directly involved in any peace talks. Excluding Kyiv would align with Putin’s repeated demand that Ukraine be sidelined, the Russian leader having dismissed Zelenskyy as “illegitimate.”
Kyiv’s omission from negotiations would represent a striking break from years of U.S. and allied policy, which under former President Joe Biden was guided by the “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” principle, with the former president also refusing to speak directly with Putin while the war continued.
Trump spoke with Zelenskyy after his phone call with Putin. The Ukrainian leader said in a post to social media that the two discussed “opportunities to achieve peace, discussed our readiness to work together at the team level, and Ukraine’s technological capabilities — including drones and other advanced industries.”
Trump also said he would meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia, though did not set a date. Addressing the conversation, Trump said on Truth Social that Zelensky,”like President Putin, wants to make PEACE.”
Trump separately hinted at the expiry of Zelenskyy’s presidential term. Ukraine was due to hold presidential elections last year, but the vote was delayed as the country is still under martial law as a result of Russia’s invasion. At “some point you’re going to have an election,” Trump said.
Ukraine and American allies in Europe called for a unified negotiating front.
“We are looking forward to discussing the way ahead together with our American allies,” said a joint statement from the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain, the U.K., Ukraine, the European Union’s European External Action Service and the European Commission.
“Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength,” the statement added. “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.”
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, said on X, “Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity are unconditional.”
Trump said a meeting between Zelenskyy, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled during the weekend Munich Security Conference event in Germany.
The State Department said that Ukraine-Russia envoy Keith Kellogg will begin a 10-day visit to Germany, Belgium and Ukraine on Thursday.
Hegseth preceded Trump’s latest remarks by telling allies in Belgium on Wednesday that Ukraine cannot liberate all territory from Russian occupation, and that Kyiv will not be given NATO security protection as part of any peace deal.
“The bloodshed must stop and this war must end,” Hegseth said. His address was the most detailed delineation of the Trump administration’s desired peace deal since the president returned to the Oval Office. Pro-talk signals from the U.S. raised concerns in Ukraine and abroad that Kyiv will be forced into territorial and political concessions in exchange for an end to the fighting.
John Bolton — Trump’s former national security adviser — for example, said on X that the president’s approach is tantamount to a “sell out” of Ukraine. “Trump has effectively surrendered to Putin on Ukraine.”
The latest remarks from Trump and Hegseth also stoked concerns inside Ukraine. “It’s a bad sign that he has talked first to Putin, not to Zelenskyy,” Oleksandr Merezhko — a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee — told ABC News.
“Such a phone call is in itself a reward for Putin,” he added. “It’s sort of a break in his political isolation.” Still, Merezhko said Trump’s approach does “not quite” mean a total exclusion of Ukraine. “The principle ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine’ is more about not taking decisions without Ukraine which have influence upon Ukraine,” he said.
Pressure for peace is building within and without. A Gallup poll published in November indicated that most Ukrainians favored a rapid end to the devastating war. Zelenskyy’s public rhetoric largely reflects this sentiment, though the president has warned that no peace deal is sustainable without concrete U.S. security guarantees.
“This war of attrition is only going to make us weaker,” Iuliia Mendel — Zelenskyy’s former press secretary — told ABC News. “For a long time, Ukraine has been at the stage when negotiations are urgent to save the nation.”
The Kremlin confirmed that Trump had spoken with Putin.
“The topic of a settlement in Ukraine was discussed,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters after the call on Wednesday.
“President Trump spoke in favor of an early end to hostilities and a peaceful solution to the problem,” he added. “President Putin, for his part, mentioned the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement can be achieved through peaceful negotiations.”
On Thursday, Peskov told reporters that Moscow had begun preparing a negotiating group to organize a meeting between Trump and Putin. “Definitely started. And as the president makes the appropriate decisions, we will inform you,” Peskov said.
When asked if a visit by U.S. representatives to Moscow is expected in the near future, Peskov said: “Not yet. So far, there are no specific agreements in this regard.”
Both Moscow and Kyiv are maneuvering for leverage in preparation for revived talks. This week, Russia and the U.S. concluded a prisoner swap described by Trump as a goodwill gesture that could help advance peace talks.
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv to discuss a potential deal to secure U.S. access to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Ukrainian minerals.
Russian and Ukrainian leaders have both expressed readiness to resume negotiations, though neither side has indicated willingness to make significant concessions.
This week, Zelenskyy suggested Ukraine would be ready to give up territory it seized in Russia’s western Kursk region in exchange for the liberation of some Ukrainian territory occupied by Moscow’s troops.
Peskov dismissed the idea as “impossible” at a Wednesday briefing with journalists. “Russia has never discussed an exchange of its territories and never will,” Peskov said.
“Naturally, Ukrainian units will be ousted from this territory. Everyone who is not eliminated will be ousted,” Peskov added.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky, Anastasia Bagaeva, Nataliia Popova, Zoe Magee, Tanya Stukalova and Tom Soufi Burridge contributed to this report.
After being held by Hamas terrorists for 470 days, the first three hostages released on Sunday as part of the ceasefire deal were reunited with their mothers and airlifted to a hospital, according to Israeli officials.
The now-former captives — Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31 — were turned over by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal that has been in the works for months.
“Today’s ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages is a result of a principled and effective policy that we’ve presided over for months,” President Joe Biden said in an address from the White House on Sunday. “And we got it — we got here without a wider war in the Middle East [that] many predicted.”
The first phase of the deal will see the release of 33 hostages being held in Gaza, dead and alive, starting with women, children and the elderly, officials said. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel will also be released in exchange for the hostages. Biden said that by the 16th day of the deal, talks will begin about the second phase of the agreement, which will include releasing remaining Israeli male hostages, civilians and soldiers.
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal on Wednesday, marking an end to more than 15 months of deadly conflict. The agreement was announced in Doha, Qatar, after months of negotiations between Israel and Hamas were mediated by facilitators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar. It was approved by the Israeli Cabinet on Friday.
Here’s what we know about the freed hostages so far:
Romi Gonen, 24
Gonen was kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, from the Nova music festival that was attacked by Hamas terrorists, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
Gonen, of Kfar Vradim in northern Israel, is known for her love of dancing, traveling and enjoying life, according to the organization. One of five children of Meirav and Eitan Gonen, Romi Gonen was described by the organization as energetic, funny, family-oriented and full of life.
Doron Steinbrecher, 31
Steinbrecher is a veterinary nurse who has cared for animals since childhood when she helped at the school’s petting zoo, the organization said. She loves sports and was known to jog every Saturday morning around her kibbutz, according to the group. Her family described her as a devoted aunt, who is beloved by her nephews. Her parents are Roni and Simona, and she has one sister, Yamit, and a brother, Dor.
Steinbrecher is an Israeli-Romanian dual national who turned 31 in captivity, officials said.
Steinbrecher and Damari were both captured on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants who attacked their Kfar Aza kibbutz close to the Gaza border.
Emily Damari, 28
Damari is a British citizen who was living at the Kfar Aza kibbutz. Her friends describe her as well-loved and popular, a friend to everyone, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters. The organization said Damari enjoys barbecuing and karaoke nights, and loves hats.
Damari was also a central figure in the local Kfar Aza youth community and was praised for always being there for her friends, the group said.
Damari was kidnapped from her home along with Steinbrecher and two other friends, Gali and Ziv Berman, who remain in captivity, the organization said.
In over a year of war between Israel and Hamas, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza and almost 110,000 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. That figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. However, more than 14,000 children and 8,000 women have been killed, according to the health ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces said they have killed more than 15,000 combatants throughout the course of the war, which was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in southern Israel. More than 1,200 people were killed and another 253 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
During a weeklong ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in late November 2023, Hamas freed more than 100 people. In exchange, Israel released more than 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. Several hostages in Gaza have also been freed in the months since, while the bodies of others have been recovered.
The release of three American-Israeli hostages who are alive will be included in the ceasefire agreement, though in two different phases, a senior White House official told reporters on Wednesday.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, and Keith Siegel, 65, are both expected to be released, with Sigel qualifying for release due to age, and Dekel-Chen qualifying because of injury, according to the official, who said Dekel-Chen was shot on Oct. 7, 2023, when the conflict began with a terrorist attack by Hamas in southern Israel.
Edan Alexander, 20, will be in the second phase of releases because of his service with the IDF, according to the official. The official said he spoke with Alexander’s father recently and that the U.S. remains fully committed to getting him released.
“We are committed to getting all Americans, these are American-Israeli citizens, all of them out of Gaza, whether living or remains. That is our commitment,” the official said.
Following the ceasefire announcement last week, Biden released a statement noting how American citizens held hostage by Hamas will be included in the ceasefire release agreement.
“This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden said he is determined to bring seven American hostages home, three of whom are believed to be alive, he said.
Hostages with American citizenship who have died and whose bodies are believed to remain with Hamas include Itay Chen, 19; Omer Neutra, 22, and married couple Judith Weinstein, 70, and Gadi Haggai, 73.
ABC News’ Molly Nagle and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
