At least 20 new species identified in recently discovered underwater ecosystem
Scientists captured a rare image of a Casper octopus off the Nazca Ridge, a newly discovered seamont about 900 miles off the coast of Chile. (Schmidt Ocean Institute)
(NEW YORK) — Scientists have identified several new marine species in a pristine underwater ecosystem recently discovered in international waters — and they expect to find more.
Modern technology that allows for deep-water exploration more accurately than ever before made way for the findings of the Nazca Ridge, a new seamount in international waters about 900 miles off the coast of Chile in the Southeastern Pacific, Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, told ABC News.
The underwater mountain is nearly 2 miles tall and supports a thriving deep-sea ecosystem, including a pristine coral garden the size of three tennis courts as well as a sponge garden, Virmani said.
Researchers aboard the Falkor, a state-of-the-art research vessel, used a remotely operated vehicle named SuBastian to collect images and samples during deep sea exploration with much greater accuracy and success than the satellite imagery used in the past to map the sea floor, Virmani said.
Some of the new species discovered include anemones, urchins, corals, some shrimp and a squat lobster, Virmani said.
Fossilized whale bones may also lead to the discovery of a new species of ancient whale, she added.
The expedition also produced the first-ever recording of the rare and enigmatic Promachoteuthis squid.
The pristine ecosystem is so far from any coastline that it appears almost untouched by pollution, Virmani said. The region is a high-priority area for international marine protection and has been earmarked to potentially be one of the first high-seas marine protected areas due to the enormous biodiversity and the unusual geology — as well as the unique physical and chemical characteristics for that part of the world, she said.
The Falkor sails around the world, gathering data to create a detailed map of the sea floor.
Previous expeditions to the Salas y Gómez and Nazca Ridges in January and February documented over 150 previously unknown species and numerous range extensions for animals not previously known to live on the ridge, the researchers said.
Previous satellite data detected the presence of the Nazca Ridge, but it was off by about 700 meters, or about .43 miles, and there was no indication of how tall it was, Virmani said. Another 25 previously unknown seamounts have also been found in the region — some of which have shown volcanic activity.
“It’s an area where multiple plates — tectonic plates — meet, so mountain chains are formed,” Virmani said.
Currently, about 26% of the ocean floor has been mapped to a high resolution, Virmani said.
“We’re working towards full map of the sea floor,” she said. “…That would be the first time in human history we know what our planet’s shape actually is.”
The findings are incredibly important for the understanding of ocean life in the bathypelagic zone, which lies between 1,000 and 4,000 meters deep and is the largest animal habitat on Earth, the researchers said.
Virmani expects scientists will continue to discover new marine species as in-depth study of the ocean continues.
“Every time we go out to the ocean, we find something new,” she said. “So it’s almost like we expect to find something every time we go out. I think we’d be disappointed if we didn’t.”
(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the latest round of cease-fire discussions appears to have reached an impasse.
Meanwhile, after six hostages were found dead in Gaza, protests erupted in Israel. Protesters have demanded its government bring the hostages home.
Here’s how the news is developing:
29 Palestinians killed in West Bank since IDF operation began
Twenty-nine Palestinians have been killed and 121 have been injured in the West Bank since the Israeli military’s operation began last Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Monday.
Eighteen people were killed in the Jenin governate of the West Bank, four in the Tubas governate, four in the Tulkarm governate and three in the Hebron governate, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta
Biden, Harris meet with US hostage deal negotiating team
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team in the Situation Room on Monday, according to the White House.
Biden and Harris received an update from the negotiation team on the “status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar and Egypt” and “they discussed next steps” in the release of the hostages, the White House said.
Biden also “expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder” of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages and he “reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,” the White House said.
Officials participating in the briefing included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, CIA Director Bill Burns and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
Netanyahu doubles down on Israeli troops remaining in Philadelphi corridor
In an Israeli cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on his stance that he will not agree to a cease-fire and hostage deal that includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Philadelphi corridor in Gaza, according to an Israeli official.
Israeli troops remaining in the Philadelphi corridor has been a key sticking point in the ongoing negotiations. Hamas wants a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
“Everyone who says that it is possible to leave Philadelphi for 42 days, knows very well that it will be for 42 years. The world will not allow us to return,” Netanyahu said during Sunday night’s cabinet meeting, according to an Israeli official. “Everyone understands the importance of Philadelphi, and [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar understands it best. That is why he insists. All smuggling the weapons to Gaza were through Philadelphi. If we change the cabinet’s decision, it will be a terrorist award, you will not return the hostages.”
The Hostages Families Forum said in a statement that Netanyahu’s comments are “dangerous.” The families said Netanyahu’s statement means “there will be no deal, and the families will not get to see their loved ones return home.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Dana Savir
Israeli president apologizes to Hersh Goldberg-Polin and his parents for not keeping him safe
As Israeli President Isaac Herzog gave a eulogy at the funeral of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, he apologized to the slain 23-year-old.
“I apologize that the country you immigrated to at the age of 7, wrapped in the Israeli flag, could not keep you safe,” Herzog said Monday, two days after the Israeli-American’s body was recovered in Gaza, along with five others.
The president also asked for forgiveness from Goldberg-Polin’s parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, for not bringing their son home alive.
He said he learned of “a mother’s and father’s limitless love” from Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin.
“Jon and Rachel, against the senseless hatred, and unthinkable brutality of Hamas terror, pure barbaric evil, you have taught the world about human dignity,” Herzog said. “As a human being, as a father, and as the President of the State of Israel, I want to say how sorry I am. How sorry I am that we didn’t protect Hersh on that dark day. How sorry I am that we failed to bring him home.”
Though he said Israel will “continue fighting relentlessly against” Hamas, Herzog stressed that the remaining 101 hostages must be released.
“The time to act is now: Bring them home,” Herzog said.
“Decision-makers must do everything possible, with determination and courage, to save those who can still be saved,” he said. “This is not a political goal, and it must not become a political dispute. It is a supreme moral, Jewish, and human duty of the State of Israel to its citizens.”
-ABC News’ Becky Perlow
Biden says Netanyahu is not doing enough, says ‘we are very close’ to presenting final deal
When asked by reporters if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing enough on the hostage deal, President Joe Biden on Monday replied, “No.”
Asked about presenting a final hostage deal this week, Biden said, “We are very close to that.”
“Hope springs eternal,” Biden said, when asked what makes this final deal different, but he declined to provide details.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are meeting with the U.S. hostage negotiation team Monday morning.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
‘We failed you,’ dad of slain hostage says
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was curious, self-assured and a deep, independent thinker, his dad, Jon Polin, said at his funeral on Monday.
The 23-year-old, who was found dead in Gaza this weekend, was “always seeking to understand the other, and always with dignity and respect,” Polin said.
“Hersh, we failed you. We all failed you,” Polin said with a “332” on his shirt, marking how many days his son was held hostage. “You would not have failed you. You would’ve pushed harder for justice … to bridge differences. … What you would be pushing for now is to ensure your death … [and the others’ deaths are] not in vain.”
“Maybe, just maybe, your death … is the fuel that will bring home the remaining 101 hostages,” Polin said.
“You have become a global symbol of bringing improvement to our world,” he said.
“The 23 years of life that we had with you were a blessing. We now will work to make your legacy a similar blessing,” he said.
Funeral underway for slain American hostage
A funeral procession is underway in Jerusalem for slain Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin. The 23-year-old was one of six murdered hostages recovered this weekend.
The Israeli Ministry of Health said the six hostages were killed “in a number of short-range shots” between Thursday and Friday morning.
The funeral comes one day after thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the deaths of the six hostages.
2 hours and 31 minutes ago Tel Aviv braces for fresh protests
More than 1,000 people have gathered in the northern Israeli city of Tel Aviv for continued anti-government protests, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conclude a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas.
Other marches are taking place elsewhere in Israel. A general strike — called by Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union — also began on Monday morning in protest of the government’s failure to free those still held hostage inside Gaza.
Police reported violent clashes with anti-government protesters in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, saying officers had arrested 29 people.
The current wave of demonstrations was sparked by the recovery of the bodies of six of Hamas’ hostages from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and David Brennan
3 hours and 57 minutes ago Israel Police accuses Tel Aviv marchers of ‘brutal’ vandalism, violence
The Israel Police has condemned what it called “brutal vandalism” during a night of anti-government demonstrations in Tel Aviv, sparked by the deaths in captivity of six of Hamas’ Gaza hostages.
In a statement, the Police Spokesperson’s Unit said officers arrested 29 suspects for a range of offenses including disorderly conduct, assaulting officers and vandalism.
The violence followed a planned protest at the Kaplan Junction in Tel Aviv, the statement said, after which “hundreds of protesters” left the approved demonstration area and moved to the Ayalon Highway, “with the intent to disrupt traffic and public order.”
Some marchers “violently pushed against barricades and officers, leading to a confrontation during which a policewoman was injured and lost consciousness,” the statement said. The officer was evacuated for medical treatment.
As officers attempted to clear the area, some protesters “breached security perimeters, blocked the Ayalon Highway, and set fires, while firing fireworks that nearly hit officers,” police said.
“The Israel Police strongly condemns the acts of vandalism and violence directed at officers,” the statement read. “We will pursue legal action against those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.”
The protesters were demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government agree to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal with Hamas.
A general strike called by Israel’s largest trade union — Histadrut — began on Monday morning in a bid to pressure the government into reaching an accord with the militant group.
Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke with the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage who was found dead in Gaza on Saturday along with five other Oct. 7 hostages, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The vice president and her husband called parents Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin on Sunday to “express our condolences following the brutal murder of their son by Hamas terrorists,” Harris said in a statement on X.
“My heart breaks for their pain and anguish,” Harris continued.
“I told them: As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our nation mourns with them,” Harris said.
4:59 PM EDT Protest erupts in Tel Aviv as demonstrators demand cease-fire deal
Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv Sunday night, demanding a cease-fire agreement and the release of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas terrorists.
The demonstration came a day after Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in tunnels under the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters were seen waving Israeli flags as they demanded a cease-fire agreement, chanting “Deal. Now.”
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaule
3:25 PM EDT 6 killed in IDF strike on Gaza school, says Gaza Civil Defense
At least six people were killed on Sunday when Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike on a school in Gaza City, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
The IDF said in a statement that the strike was aimed at Hamas terrorists they allege were operating a command-and-control center inside the Safad school to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against the IDF and Israel.
“Prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians, including the use of precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence,” the IDF said in a statement.
The Gaza Civil Defense confirmed the Safad school was hit in the IDF strike, but said the school houses displaced people from the Al-Zeitoun area east of Gaza City.
(MOSCOW) — In what is one of the largest drone attacks since the Russia-Ukraine war began, Moscow officials said they shot down at least 12 drones on Wendesday.
The Air Defense Forces of the Ministry of Defense shot down 10 UAVs Tuesday night and two more Wednesday morning, local time, according to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
It was not clear how many drones and missiles were launched in total. Unverified videos published online showed explosions in the sky over Russia. Sobyanin said some of the drones were destroyed in the region surrounding Moscow, brought down by the city’s layered air defense.
Russian authorities said that around 60 more drones were launched into Russia. Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on the attack.
(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the latest round of cease-fire discussions appears to have reached an impasse.
Meanwhile, after six hostages were found dead in Gaza, protests erupted in Israel. Protesters have lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demanded the government bring the hostages home.
Here’s how the news is developing:
UNRWA says employee killed by the IDF in the West Bank
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said an employee was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank, marking the first time a member of its staff has been killed there in 10 years.
“Sufyan Jaber Abed Jawwad was shot and killed on the roof of his home by a sniper during an overnight Israeli military operation in the early morning of 12 September. Sufyan worked as a sanitation labourer in El Far’a Camp and is survived by his wife and five children,” UNRWA said in a statement Friday.
“Civilian infrastructure, including water and electricity networks, have been destroyed, with precarious access for communities to basic supplies. UNRWA has been forced to suspend services to refugees because of the unacceptable risk to staff and beneficiaries during these operations,” the UNRWA said.
First round of polio vaccination campaign completed in Gaza
The first round of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza was completed Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of children received dosages, successfully reaching 90% vaccination coverage, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
“Our next challenge will be providing the second dose, needed in the coming weeks,” the UNRWA said.
IDF has not found any operational smuggling tunnels in Rafah
In the nearly four months the Israel Defense Forces have been in Rafah, it has not found any operational smuggling tunnels beneath the Gaza-Egypt border, multiple Israeli sources told ABC News..
The IDF found nine tunnels that ran under the Philadelphi corridor, all of which were blocked at some point on the Egyptian side, sources said. The IDF has located a total of 200 tunnels in the Rafah area.
For months, the military has been pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that Israel needs to maintain a military presence on the Philadelphi corridor because that’s where Hamas smuggles weapons into Israel via the tunnels.
This pushback has become increasingly vocal, and is echoed by the very top of the military and defense chain of command. They are quietly demanding a cease-fire deal and are calling Netanyahu’s bluff.
IDF sources said they now believe most of the smuggling was happening above ground through the Egypt-Gaza border crossing.
-ABC News’ Matt Gutman
WHO leads largest medical evacuation from Gaza since October 2023
The World Health Organization said it had evacuated at least 97 patients and 155 companions from Gaza on Wednesday, taking them to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment.
This was the largest medical evacuation from Gaza since October 2023, according to Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.
Patients were transported in ambulances via the Kerem Shalom crossing from Gaza to Ramon Airport in Israel for travel to Abu Dhabi.
Patients included 45 children and 52 adults with a wide range of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, congenital anomalies, blood and liver diseases, trauma and injuries.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Experts believe 2,000-pound bombs were used in deadly Israeli strike in Al Mawasi, Gaza
It is possible 2,000-pound bombs were used in deadly Israeli strike in the humanitarian area of Al Mawasi in Gaza on Sept. 10, two experts told ABC News.
At least 19 people were killed and 60 others were injured in the attack, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Videos and photo captured from the site of the deadly strike show two large craters with fabric and debris buried in the sand. A photo captured by Quds News Network shows what appears to be a conical-shaped missile fragment.
The remnant of a missile recovered from the site and large craters suggest the most likely munition used to conduct the attack was “a 2,000-pound-class air-delivered bomb fitted with an Israeli-made SPICE 2000 guidance kit,” N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of the consultancy Armament Research Services, told ABC News.
Satellite imagery captured the day before the attack show a cluster of a dozen tents at the location of the strike in the densely populated Al Mawasi area. Imagery captured after the attack shows the temporary structures are nowhere to be seen, replaced instead by two large craters, one measuring almost 46 feet in length.
The craters are consistent with “multiple MK-84s which are 2,000 pounds” and “the fragment recovered appears to be from a Spice-2,000 bomb guidance kit tail section,” Trevor Ball, a former US Army EOD specialist, told ABC News after reviewing the photos and satellite imagery.
The United Nations’ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the kill radius of a 2,000-pound bomb is almost 110 feet.
-ABC News’ Chris Looft
Netanyahu says Hamas is hiding its opposition to cease-fire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday accused Hamas of blocking a cease-fire and hostage-release deal.
“Hamas is trying to hide the fact that it continues to oppose the hostage release deal and prevents it from materializing,” Netanyahu said in a statement posted to X.
Netanyahu said Israel accepted the offer put forward by the U.S. on Aug. 16, but that “Hamas rejected it and murdered six hostages in cold blood.”
“The world must demand that Hamas release the hostages immediately,” the prime minister said, referring to the 101 hostages still held in Gaza, around half of whom are believed to be alive.
Hamas has repeatedly blamed Netanyahu for the gridlock, alleging the prime minister is intentionally sabotaging talks to retain political power in Israel.
Egyptian and Qatari officials met with a top Hamas official in Doha on Wednesday in a bid to restart cease-fire negotiations, which fell apart after the last round of talks in August.
Hamas released a statement on Wednesday evening reiterating they want to revert to the deal proposed on July 2.
Israel’s Gaza school strikes ‘totally unacceptable’: UN chief
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres accused Israel of “dramatic violations of international humanitarian law” over its continued airstrikes on schools-turned-shelters in the Gaza Strip.
Six United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) were among at least 17 people killed in a Wednesday strike on the Al-Jaouni School in Nuseirat in central Gaza, the agency confirmed. It is the fifth time that the school has been targeted since Oct. 7.
Guterres wrote on X: “What’s happening in Gaza is totally unacceptable. A school turned shelter for around 12,000 people was hit by Israeli airstrikes again today.”
The attacks “need to stop now,” he added.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X: “Endless & senseless killing, day after day.”
“Humanitarian staff, premises & operations have been blatantly & unabatedly disregarded since the beginning of the war,” he added, noting that at least 220 UNRWA staff have been killed in Gaza.
“The longer impunity prevails, the more international humanitarian law & the Geneva conventions will become irrelevant,” he wrote, adding it was time for both a cease-fire and “accountability.”
The Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday that the strike targeted “a Hamas command and control center in the area.”
Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories body hit back at Lazzarini’s social media complaint, alleging in its own post that Gaza schools “have been Hamas weapons storage facilities, tunnel access points, and bases of operation for over a decade.”
“Maybe if you hadn’t turned a blind eye to Hamas’s use of UNRWA schools, the current situation would be entirely different,” the organization wrote.
Slain American-Turkish activist’s family responds to Biden
Aysenur Eygi’s family responded to President Joe Biden’s statement released earlier Wednesday where he called her death “totally unacceptable.”
The family said that Biden has not called them.
“Let us be clear, an American citizen was killed by a foreign military in a targeted attack. The appropriate action is for President Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris to speak with the family directly, and order an independent, transparent investigation into the killing of Ayşenur, a volunteer for peace,” the family said in a statement.
17 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza
Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 17 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.
Six of the people killed in the strike worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, according to the agency. Among those killed was the manager of the UNRWA shelter and other team members providing assistance to displaced people.
About 12,000 displaced people live in the school, mainly women an children, according to the UNRWA.
The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.
Israeli helicopter crashes in Gaza killing 2
An Israeli air force helicopter crashed in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip, killing two soldiers overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The helicopter was “on a mission to evacuate an injured solider to a hospital for medical treatment,” the IDF said. An initial inquiry “indicates the crash was not caused by enemy fire,” but the cause of the crash is still “under investigation,” the IDF said.
Seven additional soldiers were injured “to varying degrees” and were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, the IDF said.
The families of the killed and injured soldiers have been notified, the IDF said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Egyptian, Qatari officials meet with top Hamas official in Doha
Egyptian and Qatari officials met with a top Hamas official in Doha on Wednesday, hoping to potentially restart cease-fire negotiations after they fell apart again.
Hamas is repeating its demand that the deal proposed in early July be put back on the table, according to a statement confirming the meeting. Hamas also reiterated its demand for a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
17 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza
Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 17 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.
The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.
Over 80% of targeted Gazan children receive polio vaccines
As of Tuesday evening, 82.5% of children in the Gaza Strip under the age of 10 have received their first dose of the polio vaccine as part of the ongoing emergency polio vaccination campaign.
The third round of vaccinations continues “despite the ongoing occupation aggression on the Strip, despite the great danger to their movement and travel between vaccination centers, and this is the case of our people in the Strip who are keen to vaccinate children against the disease,” the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement Wednesday.
13 dead in IDF strike on school in Gaza
Search and rescue operations are ongoing after an Israel Defense Forces strike on a school in Gaza killed at least 13 people and wounded over 18 others, according to Gaza Civil Defense.
This is the fifth time the IDF has bombed this school. It was previously struck by the IDF on July 6.
The IDF, confirming the strike, claimed that the school had been used by Hamas terrorists to plan and execute attacks against Israel.
Biden ‘outraged’ by Israel’s killing of American activist
President Joe Biden said he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the killing of American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank by Israeli forces.
“The shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable,” the president said in a statement published Wednesday morning.
The Israel Defense Forces published its initial report into the killing on Tuesday, finding it “highly likely” that the dual American-Turkish activist “was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her.”
Biden said the U.S. government has “full access” to the preliminary investigation “and expects continued access as the investigation continues, so that we can have confidence in the result.”
“There must be full accountability,” the president said. “And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.”
Eygi, 26, was with the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank, working to protect local Palestinian farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers.
Biden said Wednesday that the violence in the West Bank “has been going on for too long.”
“Violent extremist Israeli settlers are uprooting Palestinians from their homes,” he continued. “Palestinian terrorists are sending car bombs to kill civilians.”
“I will continue to support policies that hold all extremists — Israelis and Palestinians alike — accountable for stoking violence and serving as obstacles to peace,” he said.
Two Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza helicopter crash
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and seven injured were injured in a helicopter crash in southern Gaza on Tuesday night, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The helicopter “was on a mission to evacuate an injured soldier to a hospital for medical treatment,” but “crashed while landing in the Rafah area” in the south of the territory, the IDF wrote on X.
“An initial inquiry conducted indicates that the crash was not caused by enemy fire,” the force said. “The cause of the crash is still under investigation.”
Seven other troops were “injured to varying degrees, the IDF said. They have been hospitalized for treatment.
Israeli Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, appointed an investigative committee to probe the incident, the IDF added.
Israel hits dozens of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
Israeli warplanes “struck approximately 30 Hezbollah launchers and terror infrastructure sites which posed a threat to Israeli civilians” in southern Lebanon overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday.
The strikes occurred in the areas of Jibbain, Naqoura, Deir Seryan and Zibqin, the IDF said. Israeli artillery also hit the area of Al-Dahira.
Suspect killed after West Bank ‘ramming attack,’ IDF says
One person was critically injured in an alleged ramming attack near an Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Wednesday.
The Israel Defense Forces said that the “terrorist” attacker “was neutralized at the scene.” The incident occurred at the Givat Asaf junction, close to the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Magen David Adom — Israel’s emergency service — said its responders were “treating a male about 20 years old in critical condition.”
The MDA said on social media that the victim was hit by a “fuel tanker.”
Death toll in Gaza surpasses 41,000: Gaza Ministry of Health
The death toll in Gaza has passed 41,000 as of Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
The ministry reported that 41,020 people have died and 94,925 have been injured since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
That figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
IDF releases video of tunnel where 6 hostages were held
The Israel Defense Forces has released footage of the blood-stained tunnel where six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were held captive and murdered last month.
The “passageway” tunnel spanned 120 meters and was 20 meters deep, the IDF said.
The IDF estimates the hostages were in the tunnel for “weeks.”
The Israeli military believes the six hostages were shot and killed on Aug. 29. The IDF said its soldiers found one of the tunnel’s shafts on Aug. 30, and the hostages’ bodies were discovered on Aug. 31.
The IDF said the hostages were killed with bullets from two guns.
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters said in a statement that the “shocking” video “proves the unimaginable, inhuman conditions in which the 6 hostages Alex, Hersh, Eden, Ori, Carmel and Almog were held for months.”
“Carmel, Hersh, Alex, Almog, Ori, and Eden suffered until their last breath. They begged to be released, pleaded for their lives,” the group said. “Time is running out! That light, that hope, cannot die. A deal must be signed NOW!”
Blinken condemns ‘unprovoked’ Israeli killing of American activist
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the IDF’s initial report into the killing of U.S. citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi suggests “her killing was both unprovoked and unjustified.”
“No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest. No one should have to put their life at risk just for freely expressing their views,” Blinken said, using some of the strongest terms to condemn the killing by any American official yet.
“In our judgment, Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way that they operate in the West Bank, including changes to their rules of engagement,” Blinken continued, adding that the U.S. was well aware of longstanding allegations concerning Israeli authorities’ use of excessive force against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“Now we have the second American citizen killed at the hands of Israeli security forces. It’s not acceptable. It has to change, and we’ll be making that clear to the senior-most members of the Israeli government,” Blinken said.
“Now we’re looking carefully at the results of this investigation, but even on an initial read and even accepting it at face value, it’s clear that there are serious issues that need to be dealt with, and we will insist that they be dealt with,” he added.
‘Highly likely’ Israeli troops killed American activist: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published the results of its initial inquiry into last week’s killing of American Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank.
“The inquiry found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot,” the IDF press release stated, referring to a period of reported unrest at the Beita Junction.
“Israel has sent a request to carry out an autopsy,” it added. “The IDF expresses its deepest regret over the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi.”
Eygi, 26, was a dual Turkish-American citizen and activist working for the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank, working to protect local Palestinian farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers.
South Gaza polio vaccine drive reaches 446,000 children: WHO
The polio vaccination campaign in southern Gaza concluded on Monday with more than 446,000 children vaccinated since the drive began on Sept. 1, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“Five health facilities will continue offering polio vaccination to make sure no child is missed,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X. “We are grateful to the families for their cooperation, and to all vaccinators and health workers for their dedication.”
The polio vaccination campaign is continuing elsewhere in Gaza, and Ghebreyesus said continued humanitarian pauses are “key” in facilitating the program. Preparations to expand the drive into the north of the devastated territory “are ongoing,” he added.
“The children in Gaza deserve lasting peace, not just polio vaccines,” Ghebreyesus said.
US expects ‘transparent’ probe into killing of American in West Bank
The State Department is “urgently working to get more information” on the killing of American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank last week, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told journalists at a Monday briefing.
Eygi, 26, was an activist working for the International Solidarity Movement and was shot dead in the West Bank village of Beita on Friday. The dual American-Turkish citizen was allegedly killed by Israeli troops.
Patel told reporters that “our partners in Israel are looking into the circumstances of what happened, and we expect them to make their findings public, and expect that whatever those findings are, expect them to be thorough and transparent.”
IDF defends strike on Gaza’s Khan Younis humanitarian area
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a Monday night strike on tents in a designated humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip targeted Hamas figures “directly involved” in the Oct. 7 attack.
The Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense reported at least 40 people killed and at least 60 injured in the bombing. Search and recovery efforts were underway at the scene on Tuesday.
The IDF said Tuesday that its strike targeted “senior Hamas terrorists” in a “command and control center embedded inside the humanitarian area in Khan Younis.”
Among those killed were Samer Ismail Khadr Abu Daqqa, the head of Hamas’ aerial unit in Gaza, the IDF said.
Osama Tabesh, the head of the observation and targets department in Hamas’ military intelligence headquarters, and Ayman Mabhouh, another “senior Hamas terrorist” were also hit, the force said.
“According to an initial review, the numbers published by the Hamas-run Government Information Office in Gaza, which has consistently broadcast lies and false information throughout the war, do not align with the information held by the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy of the strike,” the IDF statement added.
At least 40 killed in strike on humanitarian area: Gaza Civil Defense
At least 40 people were killed and at least 60 people have been wounded after an Israeli strike in a designated humanitarian area of Khan Yunis, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense.
The strike hit “a gathering of displaced persons’ tents consisting of at least 20 inhabited tents,” a Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson said early Tuesday morning local time.
The Israeli Air Force “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating with a command and control center embedded inside the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Hamas changed ‘some of the terms’ of the hostage exchange: White House
The White House is remaining hopeful that talks for a cease-fire in Gaza and release of the remaining hostages can be salvaged after Hamas proposed new amendments to the deal following the killing of six hostages.
“Hamas did change some of the terms of the exchange. And that has made it more difficult for us to get there,” National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said at Monday’s press briefing.
“We still believe that, even for the new amendments that Hamas has made, that it’s still worth an effort to try to see if we can’t get back into a cease-fire negotiation,” he added. “But we’re not there right now.”
Kirby would not say if President Joe Biden will be increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal and potentially hold the transfer of weapons to Israel in order to secure a deal, similar to the recent decision by the United Kingdom.
“I can’t think of anything we haven’t put more pressure on ourselves than to try to get this deal,” Kirby said. “We know how urgent this is. And we’re working night and day to try to see if we can get a deal in place. Hamas is the main obstacle to this right now.”
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Aerial attack targets northern Israel, officials say
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported “a hostile aircraft infiltration” in the north of the country on Monday morning.
“Two suspicious aerial targets were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory,” The IDF said in a statement. “An aerial target fell in the area of Nahariya. No injuries were reported.”
The Magen David Adom (MDA) — Israel’s emergency services — said in a social media post that its personnel “located the site of the impact, as of now no casualties have been found.”
Israeli media reported that a drone detonated after crashing into an apartment block.
-ABC News’ Dana Savir and David Brennan
Hundreds gather in Central Park for hostage vigil
The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters organized twin protests in Tel Aviv and New York on Sunday, as pro-cease-fire activists look to build pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and American politicians.
Hundreds of people rallied in Central Park “to mourn six Israeli and American hostages murdered after 11 months in captivity,” the Forum said in a press release.
Among the speakers were Gilad and Nitza Korngold — the parents of hostage Tal Shoham who was abducted into Gaza on Oct. 7.
“The Red Cross has refused to help our loved ones while shamelessly requesting better conditions for the terrorists in Israel’s imprisonment,” they said, per the Forum’s press release. “We ask everyone here to call your representatives and demand the release of our loved ones from captivity.”
Moran Stela Yanai — released in November 2023 after 54 days as a hostage in Gaza — also spoke, telling attendees: “My brothers and sisters in captivity are hungry and in pain and in constant danger.”
“We must find the strength to keep fighting for them and bring them home,” she added, as quoted in the Forum’s press release.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and David Brennan
Jordanian border crossings partly reopened after shooting
Israeli and Jordanian authorities confirmed the partial reopening of border crossings on Monday following their closure due to the killing of three police officers at the Allenby Bridge.
An Israel Airport Authority spokesperson said the crossings at Yitzhak Rabin near Eilat, at the Jordan River near Beit Shean and at the Allenby Bridge would open for passenger traffic.
The media spokesman for the Jordanian Public Security Directorate said that King Hussein Bridge leading to the Allenby entry point would remain closed to freight traffic.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s Interior Ministry said that its preliminary investigations into Sunday’s shooting at the Allenby Bridge crossing confirmed that the alleged gunman was a Jordanian citizen named Maher Dhiyab Hussein Al-Jazi.
The alleged shooter — whom Israeli security forces said they shot and killed — was a resident of the Al-Husseiniyah area in Ma’an Governorate, and was crossing the bridge as a driver of a freight vehicle carrying commercial goods.
Al-Jazi acted alone, the ministry said, noting its investigation is ongoing. Authorities are attempting to organize the return of his body so he can be buried in Jordan.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Ghazi Balkiz and David Brennan
Airstrikes hit Syrian scientific research center, state media says
Strikes targeted a Syrian scientific research area in the city of Masyaf in the Hama countryside on Sunday night, Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
“Ambulance vehicles rushed towards the center of the area” amid reports of casualties, the SOHR — a U.K.-based war monitor — said on its website.
Both Syrian state media and the SOHR attributed the strikes to Israel. The SOHR said Syrian anti-aircraft weapons intercepted some Israeli missiles.
There was no immediate confirmation on the number of casualties. At least 14 people were killed and 43 others were wounded, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. ABC News was not able to immediately confirm the reported casualties or whether they were military personnel.
ABC News asked the Israel Defense Forces for comment. Israel typically does not confirm or deny responsibility for strikes in Syria, where it has been engaged in a “shadow war” with Iran and its allies — including the Lebanese Hezbollah militia — for several years.
-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz and David Brennan
Nearly 70% of children in Gaza vaccinated against polio, health ministry reports
The polio vaccination campaign continued today in south Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah, after early issues in the region when vaccines could not be properly distributed to the eastern side of Gaza.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced Sunday that 441,647 children in Gaza have received the first dose of the polio vaccine, so far.
This accounts for about 69% of the targeted population, according to the ministry.
According to the World Health Organization, 95% of children need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the disease effectively.
On Monday, vaccinations will be offered in northern Gaza where daily, eight-hour pauses in fighting and airstrikes will be instituted so children can be taken to one of the roughly 33 locations across Gaza City and north Gaza where the vaccine will be administered, according to the ministry.
-ABC News’ Victoria Beaulé
Israel closes Jordan border crossings after deadly shooting
Israel closed on Sunday the two land crossings between Jordan and Israel, as well as the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the occupied West Bank, the Israel Airports Authority — which oversees the crossings — told ABC News.
The closures followed a shooting on Sunday morning at Allenby that killed three police officers.
The gunman — who was shot dead by security forces — came from the Jordanian side, but it was not immediately clear if he was affiliated with any militant group. Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued congratulatory statements about the shooting.
Netanyahu condemned the attack, saying it was attributable to the “murderous ideology led by Iran’s ‘Axis of Evil’.”
Israel did not say how long the closures would last. The Allenby crossing is one of the key entries through which goods destined for Gaza pass.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller, Nasser Atta, Victoria Beaule and David Brennan
Hamas rocket commander ‘eliminated’ in Gaza: IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the killing of a Hamas rocket commander in an airstrike last week.
The IDF wrote on social media on Sunday that its Southern Command “eliminated” Raef Omar Salman Abu Shab — the commander of the rocket unit of the eastern Khan Younis Brigade — in an airstrike on Tuesday
The commander was “responsible for launching rocket barrages from the area of Khan Younis toward southern and central Israel since the start of the war,” the IDF said.
