Ukraine targets key Russian airbase with ‘massive’ drone attack
This photo shows a Maxar satellite image of Engels Air Base in Saratov Oblast, Russia, taken on Dec. 3, 2022./Maxar/DigitalGlobe/Getty Images
(LONDON) — Russian authorities reported a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack on the Engels airbase in Saratov Oblast overnight, with Russia’s Defense Ministry claiming to have downed 54 drones over the area.
“Saratov and Engels today suffered the most massive UAV attack of all time,” Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov region, wrote on Telegram. He reported a fire burning at the airfield and damage to around 30 houses in the area.
Windows were also blown out at a nearby hospital — where one woman was injured — as well as two kindergartens and a school, Busargin wrote.
The Ukrainian military’s General Staff claimed responsibility for the attack in a social media post, saying the operation was a collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine and the country’s Special Operations Forces. “Fire, explosions and secondary detonation of ammunition were recorded in the area of the airport,” it said.
“This military facility is used by occupiers’ aviation, in particular, to launch missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine and terrorist attacks against civilians,” the statement said. “To be continued,” it added.
Engels — situated more than 465 miles from the Ukrainian border — is a major strategic bomber base, from which Russian aircraft have launched long-range missile strikes through the 3-year-old war. It has been attacked several times by Ukraine, most recently in January.
Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, posted a purported video of the attack to Telegram, showing what appeared to be a burning fire in the dark of night. “Russian Engels,” Kovalenko wrote.
Video footage shot from a high-rise apartment in Engels circulating online also showed a large plume of smoke rising from the direction of the airbase.
Kovalenko said the strike destroyed missile stocks, including those of the Kh-101 cruise missile “The number will be known later,” he wrote. “This airfield stores the largest number of missiles used by strategic aviation for strikes on Ukraine.”
In total, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have downed 132 Ukrainian drones over seven Russian or Russian-controlled regions on Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Ukrainian authorities, meanwhile, reported a major Russian overnight bombardment of the central city of Kropyvnytskyi, with more than 30 explosions reported.
The regional governor also said Russia launched a “massive” attack on the eastern city of Kupyansk, close to the front line. At least 20 bombs were dropped on the city in a matter of hours, they said, with at least one person killed and another wounded.
Ukraine’s air force said Russian launched 171 drones in the country overnight, 75 of which were shot down and 63 lost in flight without causing damage. “Kirovohrad, Sumy, and Donetsk regions were affected by the Russian attack, ” the air force said.
“Russia’s attacks on Ukraine, despite its propaganda statements, do not stop,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “With each such launch, the Russians show the world their true attitude to peace. “
The latest exchange of attacks came just after President Donald Trump spoke with Zelenskyy, the latter agreeing to a proposed 30-day ceasefire on attacks against energy and infrastructure targets, which was also approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
The partial ceasefire is intended as a springboard for a broader pause in fighting and eventual peace deal, American officials have said.
Trump described the call as “very good” in a post to Truth Social. “Much of the discussion was based on the call made yesterday with President Putin in order to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs,” he said.
“We are very much on track,” Trump added.
But long-range attacks by both sides have continued throughout the most recent round of negotiations.
“This is what Putin’s ceasefire looks like,” Andriy Yermak — the head of Zelenskyy’s office — wrote on Telegram alongside a photo of the aftermath of Russia’s overnight attack on Kropyvnytskyi.
“Russia takes great pleasure in attacking civilians,” he added.
ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova, Will Gretsky, Kelsey Walsh, Max Uzol and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 337 Ukrainian drones overnight, in what appeared to be Kyiv’s largest cross-border aerial attack on Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
The ministry reported downing UAVs over 10 Russian regions. Moscow air defenses were firing through the night while facing multiple waves of attack drones, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The Defense Ministry said it shot down 91 drones over the capital.
Six drones were shot down near the Kursk nuclear power plant, the ministry said, close to fierce fighting as Moscow’s forces seek to eject Ukrainian troops from the western Russian region.
The attack on Moscow was “massive,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said at least two people were killed and eight injured in the capital.
Several high-rise residential buildings, houses and businesses were damaged by drones or falling debris, Vorobyov said.
Russia’s federal air agency said flights were suspended at all four of Moscow’s airports, with flights at airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions to the east of Moscow also grounded.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denounced the barrage as “a terrorist attack” in a statement posted on Telegram.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said details of the attack were “naturally” reported to President Vladimir Putin and suggested Ukraine had targeted civilian facilities, in comments reported by the state-run Tass news agency.
Asked if the Ukrainian strikes were intended to disrupt nascent ceasefire talks, Peskov responded, “There are no negotiations yet. So far the Americans, in their own words, are trying to understand how ready Ukraine is for peace talks. There are no negotiations yet, so there is nothing to disrupt here yet.”
“But the fact that it is possible to spoil the emerging trend, yes,” Peskov added.
The Ukrainian military did not immediately comment on the strikes.
The drone barrage came as U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators prepared to open ceasefire talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday after weeks of tensions and public disagreements.
President Donald Trump’s administration is pushing Kyiv to make concessions in pursuit of a peace deal to end Russia’s three-year-old invasion of the country. The White House also wants Ukraine to sign off on a controversial minerals sharing agreement Trump has framed as a way to recoup tens of billions of U.S. aid sent to Ukraine since 2022.
Kyiv has repeatedly said it will not accept any deal that does not include concrete security guarantees to prevent repeat Russian aggression in the future.
Trump has framed Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main impediment to peace, falsely blaming Ukraine for starting the war, seeking to undermine Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and publicly aligning with Moscow’s false narratives around the conflict. The U.S. has sought to push Ukraine to the negotiating table by putting a freeze on military aid and some intelligence sharing.
“The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who will take part in Tuesday’s talks — said on Monday.
Rubio said the Russians “are going to have to do difficult things” too, though Trump and his top officials have not said what concessions Moscow may be asked to make. U.S. and Russian negotiators first met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last month.
Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with crown prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman. Zelenskyy will not take part in Tuesday’s talks with the American delegation.
Zelenskyy said he had a “detailed discussion” with Salman on “the steps and conditions needed to end the war and secure a reliable and lasting peace,” in a social media post after the two leaders met.
“I specifically emphasized the issue of the release of prisoners and the return of our children, which could become a key step in building trust in diplomatic efforts. A significant part of the discussion was dedicated to the formats of security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said a Ukrainian delegation will “remain” in the country to “work with the U.S. team” on Tuesday. Zelenskyy said he hopes for “practical outcomes,” from the U.S.-Ukraine meeting.
“Ukraine’s position in these talks will be fully constructive,” he added.
A source close to Zelenskyy confirmed to ABC News that Ukraine will propose a partial ceasefire in its talks with the U.S. The partial ceasefire would apply to long-range air strikes and attacks at sea, the source said.
The timeframe for the truce remains unclear.
“We want to propose a partial ceasefire that can be monitored and then see how the Russians respond to determine the next steps,” the source added.
Rubio told reporters on Monday he saw some promise in Ukraine’s partial ceasefire proposal.
“I’m not saying that alone is enough, but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end this conflict,” he said.
Rubio said finalizing the mineral deal with Ukraine was “an important topic, but it’s not the main topic on the agenda.”
“It’s certainly a deal the president wants to see done but it doesn’t necessarily have to happen tomorrow,” he said. “There’s still more details to work out.”
In the meantime, nightly exchanges of drones and missiles appear set to continue.
Ukraine’s air force said its forces tracked one Iskander ballistic missile and 126 drones fired into the country overnight. The missile and 79 drones were shot down, the air force said, with another 35 UAVs lost in flight without effect.
Donetsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv were impacted, the statement said.
Nataliia Popova, Ellie Kaufman and Oleskiy Pshemyskiy contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his leadership team spent much of 2024 cautiously courting both sides of America’s widening political divide — well aware that repelling Russia’s ongoing invasion relied, in large part, on U.S. largesse.
Kyiv appeared hopeful it could weather President Donald Trump’s dramatic return to the White House, assuring itself and the world that his campaign trail alignment with Russia’s narrative would be tempered by the geopolitical realities of the world’s most powerful office.
But the first month of Trump’s second term has already delivered a radical American pivot. The opening of U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia — intended to secure peace in Ukraine, but conducted without Kyiv’s involvement — and subsequent fraying of U.S.-Ukrainian ties, poses a new crisis for a nation that has grown used to living with existential peril.
Volodymyr Fesenko, a political scientist and the СEO of the Center for Political Studies “Penta” in Kyiv, told ABC News that recent developments represent “the most acute crisis in relations between the U.S. and Ukraine in their entire history.”
“In the worst case, this is a strategic turn of the U.S. towards Russia, rapprochement with Putin and weakening — or even the destruction — of previous partnership relations with Europe and Ukraine,” Fesenko said. “I am afraid that this is the scenario that will gradually be realized.”
“With Trump’s businesslike approach to bilateral relations, and with his interest in restoring relations with Russia, the previous special partnership relations between the U.S. and Ukraine will no longer exist,” Fesenko said.
Former President Joe Biden’s commitment to involving Kyiv in any talks to end the war was embodied by the “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” motto. That approach appears to have been replaced with Trumpian transactionalism.
The White House now appears to be strongarming Kyiv into economic, territorial and political concessions, with Trump himself berating Zelenskyy — celebrated by many Americans for his stoic wartime stewardship — as a “dictator without elections” who “better move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”
Zelenskyy and his top officials have pushed back, noting that Ukraine is unable to hold new elections while under martial law. Kyiv has said it is happy to work with the new administration on mutually beneficial economic and security deals, while urging American partners to treat Moscow’s narrative with skepticism. Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday voted to affirm Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and agree that no elections can be held while the war continues.
The situation is “beyond disturbing” for Kyiv, a source close to the Ukrainian government told ABC News. “It’s hard to imagine that it can be pulled back.”
Ukraine’s leadership is trying to chart a course through the minefield of Trump’s second term, the source added. “They feel that they’re striking this balance of not being impolite or disrespectful when it comes to countering some of the things that, again, at the end of the day, no Ukrainian leader can accept,” the source said.
“They feel that they’re managing it well, which doesn’t mean that they don’t have anxiety,” they added. “They do, because it is a fact that they rely on U.S. support, it is a fact that Europe cannot totally compensate for that support.”
“They’re striking this balance of pushing back, but not in a way where they’re coming off as totally obstructionist and obstinate,” the source continued.
This month’s historic U.S.-Russia meeting in Riyadh laid bare the new administration’s approach to Moscow. The two sides agreed to normalize diplomatic relations and continue talks aimed at ending Russia’s war, all without Ukraine’s involvement.
Meanwhile, Trump’s bid to win access to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Ukrainian mineral resources further unsettled Kyiv. “We’re going to get our money back,” the president said of the would-be deal, the first draft of which Zelenskyy rejected, declaring, “I can’t sell our state.”
But after a week of intense negotiations, both sides now suggest they have all but reached a deal, with Trump saying Monday he expects to see Zelenskyy in Washington next week.
The reversal of the U.S. approach is striking. Where once Biden and his team refused to engage with Moscow outside of an unprecedented sanctions campaign, Trump and his top officials are now lauding a revival in bilateral ties.
Where Biden once led the “ironclad” commitment to defending Ukraine against Kremlin aggression “for as long as it takes,” Trump falsely suggested Ukraine “should have never started” the war.
The Biden administration’s steady flow of vital military and economic aid, meanwhile, has been replaced with Trump’s push to recoup what he sees as poorly invested American money. “I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up,” Trump told CPAC on Saturday. The president has focused in on the value of American aid to Kyiv, which he claims is as high as $500 billion. Zelenskyy disputed the figure and said American aid was given as grants, not loans. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy — a research institute in Germany that tracks foreign aid to Ukraine — said the U.S. has contributed around $119 billion to Ukraine over three years of war. The majority — $67 billion — was in the form of military equipment.
America’s rising Ukraine-skepticism is being expressed on all fronts. In an extraordinary illustration of the re-alignment on Ukraine, the U.S. sided with Russia in a vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia, which passed on Monday with the support of the U.S.’ traditional Western allies. The UN Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted resolution which called for an end to the conflict without criticizing Russia. France and the U.K. abstained on the UNSC vote.
Zelenskyy has said Ukraine will not agree to any peace deal that does not protect it against renewed Russian aggression. The Trump administration’s rapid policy shift has pushed European allies to mobilize to provide their own long-term support — and protection — of Ukraine. Britain, France and others are discussing deploying European troops to Ukraine to guard any peace deal.
Though financially and logistically dependent on foreign partners, Ukraine’s armed forces are among the world’s most potent and experienced. Zelenskyy said in January that 980,000 Ukrainians are now under arms, dwarfing any other European military.
Despite Trump’s unproven claims to the contrary, well-respected polling organizations in Ukraine have found that Zelenskyy retains the trust of the majority of Ukrainians. His compatriots want the war to end on what they consider fair terms, but a December survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll indicates that 57% are prepared to carry the conflict’s burden for as long as necessary, despite heavy casualties, ongoing attacks on infrastructure and severe economic strain.
There are more testing days to come. Moscow has said that the U.S. and Russian negotiating teams will meet for a second round of talks within the next two weeks.
“It should not look like Americans and Russians are trying to reach a deal about Ukraine’s fate behind our backs,” Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy’s party, told ABC News.
“But what is really important for us is that such communication between Americans and Russians should not lead to the decisions concerning Ukraine,” said Merezhko, who is also the chair of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
“I hope that it might be a part of a political game on the part of Trump, who is trying to lure Putin into negotiations to demonstrate to his voters that he is at least trying to deliver on his promise,” Merezhko added.
“That’s why we need constant communication with Trump and his team — if there is a vacuum, it can be filled by pro-Russian narratives.”
Yuriy Boyechko, the founder and CEO of the Hope for Ukraine charity, told ABC News he believes Trump “is taking a side of the aggressor.”
“Ukrainians won’t sign a surrender,” he added. “We will keep on fighting to preserve a free and democratic Ukraine even if our top ally — the U.S. — walks away. We have no other choice.”
ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect a week ago. Hostages held in the strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have started to be released under the multi-phased deal.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Jordan rejects Trump’s suggestion it take in more displaced Palestinians
Jordanian officials have rejected President Trump’s comments about Egypt and Jordan “taking” in more displaced Palestinians.
Jordan’s position “rejecting the displacement of Palestinians is fixed and unchangeable and is necessary to achieve the stability and peace that we all want,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi said during a Foreign Ministry press conference on Sunday.
“We renew our position of rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Our position is that the two-state solution is the way to achieve peace, and our rejection of displacement is fixed and unchangeable,” Safadi said, stressing that “the solution to the Palestinian issue is a Palestinian solution, and Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians.”
Safadi added, “Our approach is clear, to establish the Palestinians in their land and implement the two-state solution.”
Safadi said a priority now is to consolidate the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and bring aid to the residents of the area.
”We are working to bring aid into Gaza without interruption in preparation for the start of reconstruction operations,” Safadi said.
He said Jordon is looking forward to working with the U.S. administration to achieve peace in the region.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz
Hamas condemns Trump’s remarks on relocating Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan
In a statement Sunday, the Hamas-run Government Media Office in Gaza said it “strongly” condemns statements about what it described as the “so-called transfer of Gaza citizens to neighboring countries.”
President Trump on Saturday spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One and said he spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan about taking more Palestinians from Gaza.
“I’ve gotten along with him over the years very well. He’s done a wonderful job. He really houses, you know, millions of Palestinians, and he does it in a very humane way and I complimented him. But he really — Jordan’s done an amazing job of housing largely Palestinians,” Trump said.
He continued, “I said to him that I’d love you to take on more ’cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.”
When asked for clarification, Trump indicated he’d like Jordan and Egypt to take more Palestinians from Gaza.
“They can take people. I’d like Egypt to take people. I’m meeting with … I’m talking with General El-Sisi tomorrow sometime. And I’d like Egypt to take people and I’d like Jordan to take people. I can — you’re talking about a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said Saturday.
Hamas on Sunday called on Arab countries to reject the suggestions, saying, in part: “It is essential that our people be allowed to determine their own destiny.”
-ABC News’ Sami Zyara
Death toll rises to 15 in southern Lebanon
Fifteen people were killed by the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday, according to an updated statement from the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Another 83 people were injured, the ministry said.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and Somayeh Malekian
3 killed, 44 wounded by IDF in southern Lebanon, ministry says
Three people were killed and another 44 were injured by Israel Defense Forces troops in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said on Sunday.
The ministry added in a post on X that Israeli forces opened fire in at least two border towns on “citizens who were trying to return to their villages which are still occupied.”
IDF forces had been expected to withdraw from the area on Sunday under the ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel.
The Lebanese Armed Forces have intensified their presence in the region. The LAF stated that Lebanese military units have been deployed in several towns after the IDF’s withdrawal, in coordination with the committee overseeing the ceasefire.
Hezbollah parliament member Hassan Fadlallah said in an interview with Al-Manar TV that since the IDF has opened fire on civilians in the south, the Lebanese people should not be blamed if they retaliate in self-defense.
On the Israeli side, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee criticized Hezbollah in a video message posted on X, claiming the group has been escalating tensions, and urged Lebanese civilians to avoid returning to certain areas for their safety until further notice.
Israel’s delay in fully withdrawing from the south puts the new Lebanese government and its new president in a difficult position, as he works to establish his government’s domestic and international policies.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian, Ghazi Balkiz and Nasser Atta
Trump says Jordan, Egypt should take in more Palestinians from Gaza
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday evening on his way from Las Vegas to Miami. Trump elaborated on his talk with King Abdullah II of Jordan, saying he spoke to him about taking more Palestinians from Gaza.
“I’ve gotten along with him over the years very well. He’s done a wonderful job. He really houses, you know, millions of Palestinians, and he does it in a very humane way and I complimented him. But he really – Jordan’s done an amazing job of housing largely Palestinians,” Trump said.
He continued, “I said to him that I’d love you to take on more ’cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.”
Asked for clarification, Trump indicated that he’d like Jordan and Egypt to take more Palestinians from Gaza.
“They can take people. I’d like Egypt to take people. I’m meeting with … I’m talking with General El-Sisi tomorrow sometime. And I’d like Egypt to take people and I’d like Jordan to take people. I can — you’re talking about a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said.
Trump resumes shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, reversing Biden-era hold on the weapons
President Donald Trump has ordered that the U.S. resume shipments of the 2,000-pound bombs to Israel that former President Joe Biden halted, according to a White House source and a U.S. government official.
“The President has ordered the hold to be lifted on the 2000-pound bomb shipment to Israel,” a U.S. government official told ABC News.
Biden halted the shipment of the 2,000-pound bombs in May of 2024. At the time, he cited the fact that the weapons were being used in areas with high concentrations of civilians, leading to civilian deaths.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden said in May, during a sit-down interview with CNN.
Thousands of Palestinians gather in hope of returning to northern Gaza
Thousands of Palestinians have gathered in Gaza, just south of the Wadi Gaza, hoping to be able to return home to northern Gaza for the first time since October 2023.
The Wadi Gaza is the line Israel used to demarcate north from south in Gaza, warning over a million people to move south of the riverbed at the very beginning of the war. A majority of Gazans did, resulting in 1.9 million people crowded into south Gaza.
Under the current ceasefire deal, the Israel Defense Forces were to withdraw from parts of the Netzarim corridor — the military area it created between the Wadi Gaza and Gaza City — which has until now stopped anyone from being able to return to the north.
However, Israel and Hamas are currently engaged in a back-and-forth argument over the continued captivity of a civilian woman hostage, which is being worked out through the mediators of the ceasefire. As a result, the IDF has not yet withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor and thousands of Palestinians are waiting to return north are forced to wait.
The confusion over the delay has created some chaos in the area, with shots being fired toward the crowds and reports of injuries.
Trump takes credit for release of hostages
President Donald Trump celebrated the release of four hostages on Saturday, emphasizing the White House’s partnership with Israel and calling on the release of the remaining hostages.
“Today the world celebrates as President Trump secured the release of four more Israeli hostages who were, for far too long, held against their will by Hamas in horrific conditions. The United States will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region,” the White House said in a statement.
Families of hostages celebrate the release of 4 soldiers
The families of four soldiers who were being held hostage by Hamas are now celebrating the release of their loved ones.
“We are overjoyed and moved to see Naama standing strong and returning to us. Our hearts are with the Berger and Yehoud families who are still waiting for their loved ones. We will not rest until the last hostage returns,” the family of Naama Levy said in a statement.
The families pledged to continue to support families of hostages still being held.
“Our hearts are with the families of Arbel Yehoud, Agam Berger, the Bibas family, and all other hostages still waiting to return home. Our thoughts are with them, even in these moments of joy, and we are determined to fight until the last hostage returns home,” the family of Liri Albag said in a statement.
Israel Prison Service says Palestinian prisoners released
The Israeli Prison says it has released the Palestinian prisoners slated for release on Saturday as part of the hostage and prisoner release.
Video shows busses carrying the prisoners leaving Ofer prison and some of the busses driving into Ramallah in the West Bank, still making their way to their destination. Other buses, carrying prisoners who will be taken to Gaza, and some to Egypt, drove to the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Prisoners being released into Gaza have not yet crossed the border, according to ABC News’ producer on the ground.
“The Israel Prison Service concludes the second imprisoned terrorist release in accordance with the agreement for the return of the hostages, as part of operation ” Wings of Freedom,” read the statement from Israeli Prison Service Statement. “As part of Operation ‘Derech Eretz,’ 200 terrorists were transferred from several prisons across the country to the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons, escorted by officers from the Israel Prison Service’s ‘Nahshon’ Unit and with the assistance of the Israel Police.
“After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons. The prison officers of the Israel Prison Service are carrying out the release of the terrorists in accordance with the political directive, as agreed upon for the return of the hostages, and in full coordination with all security agencies,” the statement said.
Israel won’t allow Palestinians to return to north Gaza until Israeli female civilian released
Israel says it won’t allow Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza until Hamas releases Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud, who Israel says was supposed to be freed Saturday as part of the agreement.
“Israel today received four female soldiers kidnapped from the Hamas terrorist organization, and in exchange will release security prisoners according to the agreed-upon key,” read a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. “In accordance with the agreement, Israel will not allow Gazans to cross into the northern Gaza Strip – until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged.”
Hamas has yet to comment on the situation.
Returning hostages to undergo medical assessment after reuniting with families in Israel
A joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security agency confirms that the four newly released hostages have been “reunited with their parents” in southern Israel and “will undergo an initial medical assessment” at a local hospital.
“The four returning hostages – Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev – have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel where they are being reunited with their parents,” the statement said.
“IDF officers from the Manpower Directorate and IDF medical officials are accompanying the returning hostages, and they will undergo an initial medical assessment. IDF representatives are accompanying their families waiting at the hospital and updating them with the latest available information.”
Newly-released hostages meeting with parents, Hamas failed to release civilians
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, gave a televised statement Saturday morning, in which he confirmed that the four female IDF soldiers who were just released from captivity in Gaza are now meeting with their parents in Israel.
Hagari said Hamas failed to meet its commitment to the agreement for Saturday to also release civilians and that they must free Yehud Arbel and Agam Berger.
He said the IDF also expects them to release Shira Bibas and her children, saying there’s grave concerns about their wellbeing.
He called the event in which Hamas brought the hostages onto a stage in a crowded square in Gaza City before releasing them a “cynical” show.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Hostages now on Israeli territory after being released in Gaza
The Four returning hostages — Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev — have crossed into Israeli territory with IDF and ISA Forces, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency.
“A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the four returning hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory,” the statement read. “The returning hostages are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their parents
Hostages now with IDF, on the way to Israel
Four female hostages, who appeared to be wearing IDF uniforms and carrying paper bags, were just escorted by Palestinian fighters out of vehicles to a stage in the square, where they were seen smiling and waving at the cheering crowd. They were then escorted into the Red Cross vehicles, which are now slowly driving out of the crowded square.
“The Israeli government embraces the four returning Israel Defense Forces soldiers,” according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. “Their families have been informed by the designated authorities that they have joined our forces. The Israeli government is committed to the return of all abducted and missing persons.”
Red Cross convoy arrives at Palestine Square in Gaza City
A Red Cross convoy has entered Palestine Square in Gaza City,
This comes as a large crowd of Hamas fighters and vehicles have also gathered ahead of the expected hostage release.
There is currently no indication of the presence of the hostages.
Hamas is expected to release Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. In exchange, Israel will release 200 Palestinians being held in prisons.
IDF prepares for hostage release
The IDF says they have completed preparations for Saturday’s hostage release from Gaza, according to a statement.
“IDF completes preparations for the absorption of abductees returning to Israel from the Gaza Strip ahead of the second exchange,” the statement read. “The IDF, led by the Human Resources and Medical Corps, has completed its preparations for the second time to absorb abductees returning to Israel from the Gaza Strip.”
“The Human Resources and Medical Corps has established and trained initial absorption points where medical care and personal escort will be provided. After that, the returnees will proceed to hospitals and meet with their families.”
Israel kills 10 more in West Bank operation
Israel confirmed it killed 10 more Palestinians in an ongoing operation in the West Bank, bringing the death toll to 20 this week.
Israel also said it apprehended 20 wanted suspects and additional weapons were confiscated.
The Israel Defense Forces will continue with the “counterterrorism operation” in Qabatiya, the IDF said in a statement.
Israel announces names of hostages to be released Saturday
Four Israeli solidiers are expected to be released on Saturday in a hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas will release Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. In exchange, Israel will release 200 Palestinians being held in prisons.
The soldiers were seen in a video released in May.
Hamas to release 4 female soldiers
Hamas will release four female soldiers in the a hostage exchange on Saturday. Israel had been expecting the release of a civilian.
Israel is checking with Qatar to clarify why the civilian is not being released.
Israel has still not released the names of the 200 Palestinian prisoners it will release in exchange. Of those expected to be released, 120 have life sentences.
Israel to stay in southern Lebanon beyond ceasefire deadline
Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon beyond Sunday, when it was required to withdraw as per its November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
“The outline for the ceasefire in Lebanon stipulates that the IDF’s phased withdrawal should be implemented within 60 days. The clause was worded this way with the understanding that the withdrawal process may continue beyond 60 days,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Friday.
“The IDF’s withdrawal process is conditional on the Lebanese Army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani. Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the State of Lebanon, the phased withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States. The State of Israel will not endanger its communities and citizens and will insist on the full implementation of the goal of the fighting in the north — the safe return of residents to their homes,” Netanyahu said.
On Thursday, the Lebanese army said it is ready to deploy to the country’s south after the Israeli army withdraws from the region.
Jenin will be a ‘different place’ after Israeli operation, IDF chief says
The Israel Defense Forces are not stopping their operation in Jenin, in the West Bank, with more raids reported overnight Thursday.
“We need to be prepared to continue in the Jenin camp that will bring it to a different place — we are denying the enemy opportunities to harm our forces,” LT. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff, said on Thursday.
Israel says there is ‘much more work to do’ in Lebanon
While the Israeli government said there have been “positive movements” where the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon have taken control from Hezbollah forces, there is still work to be done, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told ABC News.
“There is much more work to do. Israel has made clear that they wish for this agreement to endure. Israel will certainly enforce this agreement as well as adhering to this agreement. But the movements have not been fast enough,” Mencer said.
Lebanese army says it’s ready to deploy to the south
The Lebanese army said it is ready to deploy to the country’s south after the Israeli army withdraws from the region, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement signed last year.
Civilians should not yet return to areas that Israel is withdrawing from, and should continue to follow the instructions of the military units until deployment ends, the Lebanese army said. Specialized units will still need to clear areas of mines and suspicious objects left by Israeli forces, the Lebanese army said.
Lebanese military units completed their deployment at several points in the town of Kfar Shuba, Hasbaya, in the eastern sector after the withdrawal of the Israeli troops.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon also said it is ready to support the Lebanese army after Israel withdraws.
Israel is required by the ceasefire to withdraw by Sunday.
At least 10 killed as Israel continues operation in Jenin
At least 10 Palestinians were killed and 40 injured as Israel continues a large operation in Jenin, turning its focus to the West Bank.
Israel launched a “significant” operation to “eradicate terrorism in Jenin,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Wednesday.
“This is another step towards achieving the goal we set — strengthening security in Judea and Samaria. We are acting systematically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it extends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria — and with our hands still outstretched,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
4 injured in Tel Aviv stabbing attack
At least four people were injured in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services organization, said in a release.
Two men, ages 28 and 24, are being treated with upper-body stab wounds and are in moderate condition. Two other patients, ages 24 and 59, are in mild condition, the MDA said.
The injured are being taken to Ichilov Hospital.
The stabbing occurred on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Police Spokesperson’s Unit said. The attacker has been killed by police, the spokesperson’s unit added.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Nasser Atta
At least 21 Palestinians injured in West Bank settler violence
At least 21 Palestinians were injured, 11 severely, after dozens of Israeli civilians, some of whom were masked, arrived at the area of Al Funduq, in the West Bank, and “instigated riots, set property on fire and caused damage,” according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Three homes were burned down and five cars were torched as well, the IDF said.
The civilians hurled rocks and attacked the security forces dispatched to the scene, according to the IDF.
Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz, despite freeing settlers who committed the same types of crimes, said he condemns the violence.
Over 1,500 aid trucks entered Gaza on day 1 and 2 of ceasefire, UN says
More than 1,500 trucks with humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip in the first two days of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
That includes more than 630 trucks on Sunday and 915 trucks on Monday, according to OCHA. Of the ones that crossed into Gaza on Sunday, OCHA said at least 300 trucks went to the north, which the U.N. has warned is facing imminent famine.
OCHA cited “information received through engagement with Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.”
“There is no time to lose,” the U.N.’s aid chief, Tom Fletcher, said in a statement Monday. “After 15 months of relentless war, the humanitarian needs are staggering.”
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
IDF says riots in the West Bank have dispersed
Israel Defense Forces and Israel Border Police Forces were dispatched to Al Funduq in the West Bank after reports of rioting in the area, the IDF said on Monday.
The alleged incident occurred shortly after Israel’s defense minister released all settlers being detained under administrative detention orders, though it cannot be certain that any of those settlers were involved in the reported riots. ABC News was able to confirm that fires had ignited in that location.
Shortly thereafter, the IDF confirmed that it had successfully dispersed rioters.
There have been no confirmed reports as to the extent of the damage or any injuries. Israeli officials are expected to conduct a formal inquiry in the area tonight.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Israeli forces recover body of fallen soldier in Gaza
Israeli forces recovered the body of Oron Shaul, an Israel Defense Forces soldier who was killed in 2014, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF announced Monday.
Shaul was killed during a battle in Gaza on July 30, 2014, and his body had been held by Hamas for the past 10 years, the IDF said.
“The recovery of Staff Sergeant, Oron Shaul’s body, was made possible due to a decade-long ongoing intelligence effort, which intensified during the war,” the IDF wrote in a statement about the operation on Monday.
Netanyahu spoke with Oron Shaul’s mother, Zehava Shaul, after the operation was successfully completed, a statement from his office said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Jordan Miller
Next hostage exchange expected to take place Saturday
Both Israel and Hamas have confirmed the next hostage release will take place on Saturday.
A senior Israeli official confirmed the deal must take place on Jan. 25, as outlined in the ceasefire agreement. Hamas confirmed the date, saying “the second batch of prisoner exchange will take place on the scheduled date.”
Three hostages, all Israeli women, were released on Sunday, while 90 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israel in exchange.
Houthis say attacks on Israeli shipping will continue
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea to only Israel-affiliated ships, signaling a temporary easing of their broader assault on commercial vessels.
The decision coincided with the ceasefire and hostage-release deal agreed between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Sunday.
The announcement was made via an email sent to shipping companies by the Houthi Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, the Associated Press reported.
Attacks on Israeli-linked vessels will end “upon the full implementation of all phases” of the ceasefire, the Houthis said, adding that attacks on U.S.- or U.K.-linked shipping may resume if the two nations continue airstrikes in Yemen.
The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, significantly affecting global shipping, particularly through Egypt’s Suez Canal.
The Houthis have also attacked American and allied military shipping in the region, plus launched drone and ballistic missile strikes into Israel.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
10,000 bodies may be under Gaza rubble, Civil Defense says
The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza said there could be as many as 10,000 bodies buried under rubble all across the strip, as many displaced Gazans try to return to their homes under a nascent ceasefire agreement.
The Civil Defense said in a post to Telegram that 10,000 missing people are believed to be “under the rubble of destroyed homes, buildings and facilities.” They are not counted in the 38,300 fatalities listed by the Civil Defense since Oct. 7, 2023.
The Gaza Ministry of Health — which has separately tracked deaths during the conflict — said on Sunday that 46,913 people had been killed in the Hamas-run territory during the war with Israel.
The Civil Defense said Israeli forces prevented its crews from accessing large areas of the strip during the fighting, “where there are hundreds of bodies” that have not yet been recovered.
The Civil Defense called for the entry of foreign rescue workers “to support us in carrying out our duty to deal with the catastrophic reality left behind by the war, which exceeds the capacity of the civil defense apparatus in the Gaza Strip.”
The organization called on Gazans to assist rescuers “with all necessary capabilities, including rescue, firefighting, and ambulance vehicles and equipment, as well as heavy machinery and equipment that will help us retrieve the bodies of martyrs from under the rubble of thousands of destroyed buildings and homes.”
Freed hostage is ‘happiest girl in the world,’ mother says Mandy Damari, the mother of Emily Damari — who was among the three Israeli captives freed from Gaza on Sunday — released a statement thanking all those involved in her daughter’s release “from the bottom of my heart.”
“Yesterday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” Mandy said in a statement shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
“I am relieved to report that after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated,” she added.
“In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world; she has her life back,” Mandy said.
“In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain,” she added. “The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families.”
-ABC News’ Anna Burd
Red Cross details ‘complex’ hostage release operation
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that Sunday’s operation to collect three freed Israeli hostages from Gaza “was complex, requiring rigorous security measures to minimize the risks to those involved.”
“Navigating large crowds and heightened emotions posed challenges during the transfers and in Gaza, ICRC teams had to manage the dangers posed by unexploded ordnances and destroyed infrastructure,” the ICRC said in a Monday statement.
“More families are waiting anxiously for their loved ones to come home,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said. “We call on all parties to continue to adhere to their commitments to ensure the next operations can take place safely.”
The ICRC also stressed that “urgently needed humanitarian assistance must enter Gaza, where civilians have struggled for months to access food, drinkable water and shelter.”
Released Palestinian prisoners arrive in the West Bank amid high tensions
Tensions were high as people waited in Beitunia, in the West Bank, for the arrival of the 90 Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israeli custody just after 1 a.m. local time.
Israeli forces used cars and tear gas to attempt to clear the roads, ABC News reporters on the scene said.
ABC News’ team saw flash bangs where people were gathered waiting for the prisoners’ release.
Israeli Police did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the matter.
The prisoners were released from Ofer Prison in Ramallah, West Bank, as a part of the hostage exchange and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
People were seen on top of the buses waving flags and chanting as the prisoners arrived in Beitunia at approximately 1:42 a.m.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, as well as Tom Soufi Burridge and Hugo Leenhardt in the West Bank
Photos show 3 Israeli former hostages reunited with their mothers
Photos were released by Israeli officials on Sunday showing the three released hostages hugging their mothers as they were reunited.
The images showed former hostages Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, all sharing emotional embraces with their mothers.
