Category: World news

(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Here’s how the news is developing:

Hamas says talks with Israel ‘meaningless’ and a ‘deal was close’

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said Tuesday that the talks with Israel are “meaningless” and that they were “close” to a deal but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want one.

“The negotiation is meaningless despite the bloodshed. We had a paper [agreement] and the deal was close. They do not want to stop being usurper. Netanyahu does not want a deal. Hence, we had dedicated all we could. Our path is not the path of surrendering,” al-Hayya said during a press conference Wednesday.

Egypt also warned that the Israeli assassinations undermine truce talks and warned against dangerous security consequences.

Egypt condemned the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military leader Fouad Shukr in Beirut as a “dangerous escalation” by Israel that could fuel conflict in the region, according to a statement issued Wednesday.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said the assassinations “undermine the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip” and “indicate the absence of Israeli political will to calm the situation.”

-ABC News’ Hami Hamedi and Ayat Al-Tawy

Hamas claims Haniyeh was assassinated by rocket that entered his room

Hamas claimed that its political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed by a rocket that entered the room where he was staying, Khalil al-Hayya, a high ranking Hamas official said in a press conference Wednesday. He warned that Israel will pay the price for Haniyeh’s death

Al-Hayya also slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hampering cease-fire talks.

-ABC News’ Hami Hamedi

Blinken calls Jordanian counterpart, discusses hostage deal and preventing escalation

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Jordanian counterpart Wednesday to discuss “the urgency of efforts to reach a ceasefire to the conflict in Gaza” and “the importance of preventing further escalation of the conflict,” according to a statement from the State Department.

The statement doesn’t specifically mention the Israeli strike in Lebanon or the killing of Hamas’ political leader, but Jordan is viewed as a key strategic partner for maintaining stability in the Middle East by U.S. officials.

-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston

‘Time for a deal,’ families of hostages say

A group representing the families of hostages held in the war-torn Gaza Strip, who were abducted from southern Israel during the Oct. 7 attacks, released a statement on Wednesday urging “the Israeli government and global leaders to decisively advance negotiations.”

“This is the time for a deal,” the statement said.

The statement comes amid rising tensions in the region after Hamas’ political leader was killed by a predawn airstrike in the Iranian capital Tehran — and only hours after Israel targeted a top commander for Iran’s ally Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Iran has ‘duty to take revenge,’ supreme leader says

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said his country had a “duty to take revenge” after Hamas’ political leader was killed in Tehran.

“However, following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, we believe it is our duty to take revenge,” Khamenei said Wednesday.

No country or organization has yet taken credit for the assassination, but Khamenei appeared in his statement to blame Israel, saying the “criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory.”

Global reactions rolling in following Haniyeh killing

As news of the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, begins to spread on Wednesday morning, global leaders have started to react, condemning his death and calling it a “heinous assassination.”

In a statement, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an escalatory crime that will push towards more tension and chaos in the region.”

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Haniyeh’s death, calling it a “heinous assassination” and reiterated the need to stop Israel from escalating regional tensions. 

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told state-owned RIA news agency that the killing of Haniyeh “is an absolutely unacceptable political murder, and it will lead to further escalation of tensions.”

Israeli press office posts photo declaring Hamas leader ‘eliminated’

The Israeli Government Press Office posted a photo of Ismail Haniyeh with the word “eliminated” over the Hamas political leader’s head. The post, which had been live for more than an hour, was then removed Wednesday morning.

“Eliminated: Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas highest- ranking leader, was killed in a precise strike in Tehran, Iran,” the office said in a post on its official Facebook page.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the assassination.

Killing will strengthen Iranian-Palestinian bond, minister says

The death of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, in Iran “will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the beloved Palestine and the resistance,” an Iranian state spokesperson said.

“The pure blood of Martyr Haniyeh will never be wasted,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said, according to Iranian state media.

Iranian authorities were investigating the assassination, he said.

Kanaani praised Haniyeh for spending his life in the “honorable struggle against the usurping Zionist regime” and for seeking the “the liberation of the oppressed Palestinian nation.”

Hamas, allies react to Haniyeh killing, calling it a ‘cowardly act’

Reaction from Hamas and its allies was swift, with Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political office, saying in a statement, “The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, is a cowardly act and will certainly not go unanswered.”

Islamic Jihad also issued a statement, saying the death of Haniyeh will not deter them.

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the state of Palestine, said he strongly condemned the assassination of Haniyeh, calling the attack “a cowardly act.”

Political leader of Hamas has been killed in Tehran, Iran says

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has been killed in Tehran along with his bodyguard, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said in a statement.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack at this stage.

Haniyeh was killed in his home in Tehran after participating in the inauguration of the new Iranian president, according to Hamas.

IDF says it targeted senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF said the commander is responsible for Saturday’s strike that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that Hezbollah “crossed the red line.”

The Lebanese Red Cross said the strike hit a residential building, killing at least two and injuring 20.

The target of Israel’s strike was Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, according to three security sources familiar with the operation.

The United States was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said. It’s not clear whether the strike successfully eliminated its target.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that “Israel has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is.”

“But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks and we will continue to do that work,” she added.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters he didn’t have “any updates on any specific activity,” but added, “We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line.”

“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran-backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Patel said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Shannon Kingston

85 sick and injured evacuated from Gaza in largest medical evacuation in 9 months

Eighty-five sick and severely injured people, including 35 children, have been evacuated from Gaza to get care in Abu Dhabi, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

This was Gaza’s largest medical evacuation since October 2023, according to the WHO.

The evacuees’ illnesses include cancer, neurological conditions, cardiac disease and liver disease, Tedros said.

Sixty-three family members and caregivers accompanied the patients, the WHO said.

“We hope this paves the way for the establishment of evacuation corridors via all possible routes. Thousands of sick people are suffering needlessly,” Tedros said. “Above all, and as always, we call for a cease-fire.”

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

IDF says it targeted senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF said the commander is responsible for Saturday’s strike that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that Hezbollah “crossed the red line.”

The target of Israel’s strike was Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, according to three security sources familiar with the operation.

The United States was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters he didn’t have “any updates on any specific activity,” but added, “We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line.”

“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran-backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Patel said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Shannon Kingston

IDF withdraws from Khan Younis after weeklong raid killing 226

The Israel Defense Forces announced that it has “completed operational activity in the area of Khan Younis” in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, more than a week after it began bombarding the eastern part of the city — a designated humanitarian zone.

At least 226 people have been killed by Israeli forces in and around Khan Younis since the IDF raid began early on July 22, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

-ABC News’ Diaa Ostaz, Jordana Miller and Samy Zyara

One dead in Israel, one dead in Lebanon amid rising tensions

At least one person is dead in northern Israel following a rocket salvo from Lebanon this afternoon, according to Israel’s national emergency service. One person was also killed in southern Lebanon following a drone strike targeting a house in the town of Beit Lif early Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets conducted strikes in southern Lebanon earlier Tuesday.

Approximately 10 projectiles crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with the majority of the projectiles being intercepted, according to the IDF. A direct hit was identified in the area of HaGoshrim in northern Israel.

12:34 PM EDT
US meetings with Netanyahu were ‘very constructive,’ Kirby says

U.S. officials’ meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, D.C., last week were “very constructive and certainly nothing that discouraged us in terms of trying to close the remaining gaps” while trying to secure the hostage deal, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.

“We still believe those gaps can be narrowed … and we can move forward. But obviously, as I said earlier, it’s going to take compromise, it’s going to take leadership,” he said.

“There’s no indication that we see, at this point in time, the weekend strike by Hezbollah into the Golan [Heights] area is going to negatively affect those discussions,” Kirby added.

Kirby also pushed back on the suggestion that Vice President Kamala Harris had a different message for Netanyahu from President Joe Biden, saying there was “no daylight” between their messages, and that reporting suggesting otherwise was “unfortunate and inaccurate.”

“There was no daylight between anything, the president, the vice president told the prime minister. Same points, same emphasis — the commitment and reaffirmation to help Israel continue to defend itself against these threats. Same reaffirmation by both the president and the vice president, that we want to see the cease-fire deal get enacted because of what it can do to improve the humanitarian situation. And of course, getting those hostages home with their families,” Kirby said.

Pressed on why Harris had her own meeting if their message was the same, Kirby defended Harris.

“The vice president couldn’t be in town for the meeting in the Oval [Office], and as she has been a full partner in all our foreign policy, but certainly in particular, the policy that this administration has pursued with respect to the Middle East, she felt it was important to also sit down with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

12:21 PM EDT
White House condemns ‘horrific’ attack on Golan Heights

The United States “absolutely condemn this weekend’s horrific attack” that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.

At least 12 people were killed, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as responsible for the strike.

Kirby also assigned blame to Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying “it was their rocket launched from an area that they control.”

“The United States will continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along that blue line that will, No. 1, end these terrible attacks once and for all, and No. 2, allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes,” Kirby said.

Kirby stressed that U.S. support for Israeli security remains “ironclad” against all Iran-backed threats, adding, “We believe that there is still time and space for a diplomatic solution.”

Asked if the administration was urging Israel to show restraint in any response, Kirby said that Hezbollah made the first strike on Israel back in October and that “Israel has every right to respond,” but he said he was confident that a broader conflict could be avoided.

“Nobody wants a broader war and I’m confident that we’ll be able to avoid such an outcome. I’ll let the Israelis really speak to whatever their response is going to be,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

4:43 PM EDT
Netanyahu and Gallant to decide how to retaliate for Golan Heights attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were granted the authority Sunday to decide the manner and timing of a response to the alleged attack by Hezbollah on the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, according to the prime minister’s office.

During a meeting in Tel Aviv, members of Israel’s political-security cabinet gave Netanyahu and Gallant the authority to devise a plan to retaliate for the strike that killed 12 people, including children playing soccer, according to the statement from the prime minister’s office.

“The members of the cabinet authorized the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to decide on the manner of response against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and when,” according to the statement.

Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack. The Israel Defense Forces and the White House both blamed Hezbollah for the attack.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

1:41 PM EDT
White House blames Hezbollah for deadly rocket attack on Golan Heights

The White House on Sunday blamed Hezbollah for the rocket strike Saturday on Golan Heights that it said killed children playing soccer.

At least 12 people were killed in the weekend attack in Majdal Shams, a town in the Golan Heights, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

“We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the horrific attack yesterday in northern Israel that killed a number of children playing soccer,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”

Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack in Majdal Shams. But the IDF said a Hezbollah rocket was used in the attack, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier Sunday that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as responsible for the strike.

-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

July 28, 2024, 12:35 PM EDT
Middle East Airlines delays flights following Israeli strike on Lebanon

Lebanon’s flagship air carrier, Middle East Airlines, delayed departures of several inbound flights to Beirut on Sunday, the airline announced.

The decision by Middle East Airlines came after the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that the military struck targets “deep inside” Lebonnon overnight. The IDF attack in Lebanon unfolded a day after a rocket strike killed 12 people in Majdal Shams, a town in Golan Heights.

Hezbollah denied involvement in the rocket attack in Majdal Shams, but IDF officials claim it was a Hezbollah rocket that hit a sports field, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as being responsible for the strike.

Middle East Airlines said it delayed the departures of six inbound flights to Beruit that would normally land at night. The flights are now scheduled to land during the day on Monday, the airline said.

Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian Airlines also told ABC News it is considering rescheduling a flight from Amman to Beirut to early Monday morning.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(JERUSALEM and LONDON) — Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who was assassinated early Wednesday in Iran, was a longtime antagonist of Israel who rose to become leader of the Palestinian organization’s political bureau, expanded the group’s footprint outside the Gaza Strip and served as a key figure in the negotiations to end the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

He had long been accused by Western and Israeli leaders of having strong ties to the Hamas organization’s miltary wing, which claimed responsibility last year for the Oct. 7 surprise attack on southern Israel. He had been detained by Israel in 1989 and spent three years in an Israel prison before eventually rising to the top of the Hamas group.

Haniyeh had been a part of talks as Israel and Hamas negotiated for an end to the fighting in Gaza and a return to the hostages held by Hamas. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday declined to comment on the assassination or how it may affect those negotiations, saying it was an “enduring imperative to getting a cease-fire, and what I do know is we are going to work at that every day.”

“All I can tell you right now is I think nothing takes away from the importance of, as I said a moment ago, getting to the cease-fire, which is manifestly in the interests of the hostages and bringing them home,” Blinken told reporters in Singapore.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the assassination.

Haniyeh had led Hamas political bureau since 2017

As the civil-focused Hamas branch won in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in 2006, sweeping into power throughout Gaza, Haniyeh was named prime minister.

Israel in 2007 accused then-Prime Minister Haniyeh of “adherence to an ‘armed struggle'” against Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry quoted Haniyeh as saying, “We are concentrating on politics but have not abandoned our arms.”

Haniyeh was dismissed after a year in office by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, took control of the security services centers in Gaza. Haniyeh rejected the decision because he considered it “unconstitutional” and described it as hasty, stressing that “his government will continue its duties and will not abandon its national responsibilities towards the Palestinian people.”

The Palestinian Authority, another civil group in Gaza, was expelled from the territory in 2007, according to The U.S. Department of State. The U.S. described the political maneuvering by Hamas as a “violent takeover.”

Ten years later, in 2017, Haniyeh became leader of the Hamas political group, which by then was the “de facto ruler” in Gaza, the U.S. said. Members of the General Shura Council elected him in voting held simultaneously in the Qatari capital, Doha, and in Gaza.

Haniyeh when he came to power was in charge of the civil wing the of the Hamas organization, the branch that manages “charities, schools, clinics, youth camps, fundraising, and political activities,” as the U.S. State Department described it.

The following year, in January 2018, during the Trump administration, Haniyeh was placed on a U.S. government terrorism list, an official designation that named him as an individual associated with terror. His addition on that list would allow the U.S. government to block his assets under a Bush administration executive order.

“Ismail Haniyeh is the leader and President of the Political Bureau of Hamas. Haniyeh has close links with Hamas’s military wing and has been a proponent of armed struggle, including against civilians,” the U.S. Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism said in a 2018 report.

A State Department spokesperson at the time said Haniyeh had “reportedly been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens. Hamas has been responsible for an estimated 17 American lives killed in terrorist attacks.”

Haniyeh had in the years since then called for Arab states to stop recognizing Israel by terminating agreements to normalize relations, according to a 2023 report on international religious freedom compiled by U.S. officials.

He had lived in exile since 2019 in Qatar, an Arab country that has played a key role in the Israel-Hamas negotiations.

Rise to power from a Gaza refugee camp

Born in 1963 in the Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, Haniyeh attended schools within and near the camp. He graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza in 1987, obtaining a degree in Arabic literature. He received an honorary doctorate from the Islamic University in 2009, according to the school. After graduating, he worked as a teaching assistant at the university, and then took over administrative affairs after that.

Haniyeh began his activity within the “Islamic Bloc,” which represented the student arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” emerged.

Haniyeh was widely considered to be a charismatic, popular and pragmatic leader within the Hamas movement. He was respected by many Palestinians when he became the first Palestinian prime minister for the Hamas movement and he refused to leave his simple home at a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas movement over the years lost dozens of its leaders in Israeli assassinations in Gaza, the West Bank and abroad, but those deaths have not appeared to weaken the movement. Israeli killed the founding and spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and many top leaders in the second intifada from 2001 to 2005, but in fact did not appear to diminish the movement.

Three of Haniyeh’s sons and many of his grandchildren, in addition to other relatives, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the ongoing war with Israel broke out on Oct. 7.

ABC News’ Lauren Minore and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A Palestinian human rights activist has accused Israeli soldiers of being involved in a series of alleged offenses against him and his property in the occupied West Bank, amid a spike in violence since the Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel by Hamas.

These allegations follow a probe by the U.S. State Department into a string of other alleged human rights abuses by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers in the West Bank, prior to Oct. 7.

ABC News spoke to Issa Amro, a Palestinian human rights activist, at his home in Hebron, the West Bank’s second-largest city. Amro spoke on his back porch, from behind the wire fence that now blocks his spectacular view of the Old City.

Amro said he needs the fence for protection and alleges Israeli soldiers have repeatedly failed to protect him from run-ins with right-wing settlers — his neighbors — who he says have threatened him. He also highlighted one particularly frightening encounter.

“He came here with a gun, he was very happy to show his power,” Amro said of an encounter with a neighbor. “He went around, he pointed the gun and said, ‘I will shoot you if I want.’”

This incident happened a few feet away from an Israeli military outpost, according to the activist.

“In spite of the presence of the soldier, I was attacked many times,” he said. “They do nothing about it. I’m afraid to stand here in the middle of the night – I feel they may shoot me.”

Amro first connected with ABC News in 2023, after the IDF put parts of Hebron under lockdown in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. Months before that, an Israeli soldier was caught on video attacking Amro in the street. The IDF jailed the soldier for 10 days, they said.

After those incidents, Amro reinforced his windows with concrete stones to act as protection.

“From the settlers and the soldiers,” he said. “I see them the same now.”

He highlighted security camera footage that appears to show a soldier walking onto his property in November. The man stole a GoPro and CCTV cameras, Amro alleged.

“Then he told me that he would come to kill me on the night,” he said.

Amro alleged that soldiers took him from his home and interrogated him for 10 hours on Oct. 7. He held up a strip of cloth he said was used to gag him, putting it in his mouth to demonstrate his alleged treatment.

“I’m keeping it as a souvenir,” he said.

The Israeli military told ABC News that Amro had not filed a formal complaint alleging violence by its soldiers, and accused him of being linked to “illegal disturbances” in the area.

He highlighted security camera footage that appears to show a soldier walking onto his property in November. The man stole a GoPro and CCTV cameras, Amro alleged.

“Then he told me that he would come to kill me on the night,” he said.

Amro alleged that soldiers took him from his home and interrogated him for 10 hours on Oct. 7. He held up a strip of cloth he said was used to gag him, putting it in his mouth to demonstrate his alleged treatment.

“I’m keeping it as a souvenir,” he said.

The Israeli military told ABC News that Amro had not filed a formal complaint alleging violence by its soldiers, and accused him of being linked to “illegal disturbances” in the area.

In the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, the IDF says it has conducted “over 200 operations” in the West Bank, “eliminating over 500 terrorists.” They claimed that more than 17,000 people they’ve arrested are linked with Hamas.

Palestinian officials say Israeli operations have killed 140 children in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the October violence. Israel argues that the raids are necessary to prevent terror attacks.

A U.S. State Department investigation into IDF conduct in the West Bank concluded that three Israeli Army battalions committed “gross human rights violations” against Palestinian civilians before Oct. 7.

One such unit was Netzah Yehuda, a unit made up primarily of ultra-Orthodox men. A 2019 video allegedly shows some of its soldiers abusing a pair of blindfolded Palestinian detainees.

An Israeli court convicted an officer and five soldiers for their roles in mistreating the two men.

Yossi Levi is the CEO of Netzah Yehuda Organization, which represents soldiers in the unit. They refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, a reference to ancient Israelite kingdoms as some Israelis assert that the area is a historic Jewish homeland.

“It’s too complicated to deal with civilian people in Judea and Samaria, to deal with thousands of operations, success operations, by the way,” he said of the incidents. “So sometimes you have bad events.”

However, such events have sometimes turned deadly. In 2022, Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, died while in Netzah Yehuda’s custody. He and Mamdouh Abu Aboud were arrested at random as they drove through the village, according to Aboud.

“That night there were no security incidents, there were no confrontations between us and them,” Aboud said, speaking in Arabic.

He lay on the ground to demonstrate the position soldiers allegedly held Assad in, before he suffered from a heart attack and died, according to Aboud.

“The soldier came and hit me. I looked left and right and see Omar on the ground. I got close to him and put my hand here,” Aboud said, indicating his neck. “I knew him and called him. He didn’t respond. I checked his pulse, he had no pulse.”

In response, the IDF said the soldiers “violated” a core value of protecting human life and two of the commanders involved were suspended from their positions for two years. After the unit’s misconduct came to light in 2022, Netzah Yehuda was redeployed out of the West Bank.

That hasn’t stopped the alleged abuses. In June, video showed Mujahed Abbadi — an injured Palestinian — tied to the front of an IDF unit’s jeep. The IDF said soldiers had violated orders and standard operating procedures during a counterterrorism operation.

Former tank commander Ori Givati, who is now part of an Israeli nonprofit called “Breaking the Silence,” is among the Israelis trying to highlight the IDF’s alleged abuses in the West Bank, and says the problem is the occupation itself.

“When you occupy millions of people with the military, you go through a process of dehumanization,” Givati said.

He acknowledges that the soldiers stationed in the West Bank are working under extremely difficult circumstances — soldiers and settlers in the area are constantly threatened with attack. However, he highlights Israel’s role in creating that tension.

“Occupying the Palestinians for almost 57 years now is not helping our security,” he said. “Militarily occupy them, invade their homes, disperse their protests, build settlements on their lands. Maybe that is something that is creating a lot of hostility and we should change course.”

Amro, the Palestinian human rights activist, doesn’t understand why the Israelis see him as an enemy, saying he isn’t a security threat.

“I am here to resist peacefully the inequality, the injustice, and try to give hope,” he said.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As the Israel-Hamas war continues, efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by the terrorist organization are ongoing, and Israeli forces have launched an assault in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

Here’s how the news is developing:

‘Time for a deal,’ families of hostages say

A group representing the families of hostages held in the war-torn Gaza Strip, who were abducted from southern Israel during the Oct. 7 attacks, released a statement on Wednesday urging “the Israeli government and global leaders to decisively advance negotiations.”

“This is the time for a deal,” the statement said.

The statement comes amid rising tensions in the region after Hamas’ political leader was killed by a predawn airstrike in the Iranian capital Tehran — and only hours after Israel targeted a top commander for Iran’s ally Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Iran has ‘duty to take revenge,’ supreme leader says

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said his country had a “duty to take revenge” after Hamas’ political leader was killed in Tehran.

“However, following this bitter, tragic event which has taken place within the borders of the Islamic Republic, we believe it is our duty to take revenge,” Khamenei said Wednesday.

No country or organization has yet taken credit for the assassination, but Khamenei appeared in his statement to blame Israel, saying the “criminal, terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our territory.”

Global reactions rolling in following Haniyeh killing

As news of the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, begins to spread on Wednesday morning, global leaders have started to react, condemning his death and calling it a “heinous assassination.”

In a statement, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine (Hamas), Ismail Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, in violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and an escalatory crime that will push towards more tension and chaos in the region.”

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Haniyeh’s death, calling it a “heinous assassination” and reiterated the need to stop Israel from escalating regional tensions. 

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told state-owned RIA news agency that the killing of Haniyeh “is an absolutely unacceptable political murder, and it will lead to further escalation of tensions.”

Israeli press office posts photo declaring Hamas leader ‘eliminated’

The Israeli Government Press Office posted a photo of Ismail Haniyeh with the word “eliminated” over the Hamas political leader’s head. The post, which had been live for more than an hour, was then removed Wednesday morning.

“Eliminated: Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas highest- ranking leader, was killed in a precise strike in Tehran, Iran,” the office said in a post on its official Facebook page.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the assassination.

Killing will strengthen Iranian-Palestinian bond, minister says

The death of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, in Iran “will strengthen the deep and unbreakable bond between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the beloved Palestine and the resistance,” an Iranian state spokesperson said.

“The pure blood of Martyr Haniyeh will never be wasted,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said, according to Iranian state media.

Iranian authorities were investigating the assassination, he said.

Kanaani praised Haniyeh for spending his life in the “honorable struggle against the usurping Zionist regime” and for seeking the “the liberation of the oppressed Palestinian nation.”

Hamas, allies react to Haniyeh killing, calling it a ‘cowardly act’

Reaction from Hamas and its allies was swift, with Musa Abu Marzouq, a member of the Hamas political office, saying in a statement, “The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, is a cowardly act and will certainly not go unanswered.”

Islamic Jihad also issued a statement, saying the death of Haniyeh will not deter them.

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the state of Palestine, said he strongly condemned the assassination of Haniyeh, calling the attack “a cowardly act.”

Political leader of Hamas has been killed in Tehran, Iran says

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, has been killed in Tehran along with his bodyguard, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said in a statement.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack at this stage.

Haniyeh was killed in his home in Tehran after participating in the inauguration of the new Iranian president, according to Hamas.

IDF says it targeted senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF said the commander is responsible for Saturday’s strike that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that Hezbollah “crossed the red line.”

The Lebanese Red Cross said the strike hit a residential building, killing at least two and injuring 20.

The target of Israel’s strike was Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, according to three security sources familiar with the operation.

The United States was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said. It’s not clear whether the strike successfully eliminated its target.

Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday that “Israel has the right to defend itself against a terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is.”

“But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks and we will continue to do that work,” she added.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters he didn’t have “any updates on any specific activity,” but added, “We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line.”

“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran-backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Patel said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Shannon Kingston

85 sick and injured evacuated from Gaza in largest medical evacuation in 9 months

Eighty-five sick and severely injured people, including 35 children, have been evacuated from Gaza to get care in Abu Dhabi, said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization.

This was Gaza’s largest medical evacuation since October 2023, according to the WHO.

The evacuees’ illnesses include cancer, neurological conditions, cardiac disease and liver disease, Tedros said.

Sixty-three family members and caregivers accompanied the patients, the WHO said.

“We hope this paves the way for the establishment of evacuation corridors via all possible routes. Thousands of sick people are suffering needlessly,” Tedros said. “Above all, and as always, we call for a cease-fire.”

-ABC News’ Will Gretsky

IDF says it targeted senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut

The Israel Defense Forces said it targeted a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut, Lebanon. The IDF said the commander is responsible for Saturday’s strike that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media that Hezbollah “crossed the red line.”

The target of Israel’s strike was Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, according to three security sources familiar with the operation.

The United States was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.

State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters he didn’t have “any updates on any specific activity,” but added, “We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the incident over the weekend, and the United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line.”

“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran-backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Patel said.

-ABC News’ Dana Savir and Shannon Kingston

IDF withdraws from Khan Younis after weeklong raid killing 226

The Israel Defense Forces announced that it has “completed operational activity in the area of Khan Younis” in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, more than a week after it began bombarding the eastern part of the city — a designated humanitarian zone.

At least 226 people have been killed by Israeli forces in and around Khan Younis since the IDF raid began early on July 22, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

-ABC News’ Diaa Ostaz, Jordana Miller and Samy Zyara

One dead in Israel, one dead in Lebanon amid rising tensions

At least one person is dead in northern Israel following a rocket salvo from Lebanon this afternoon, according to Israel’s national emergency service. One person was also killed in southern Lebanon following a drone strike targeting a house in the town of Beit Lif early Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The Israel Defense Forces said its fighter jets conducted strikes in southern Lebanon earlier Tuesday.

Approximately 10 projectiles crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory, with the majority of the projectiles being intercepted, according to the IDF. A direct hit was identified in the area of HaGoshrim in northern Israel.

12:34 PM EDT
US meetings with Netanyahu were ‘very constructive,’ Kirby says

U.S. officials’ meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, D.C., last week were “very constructive and certainly nothing that discouraged us in terms of trying to close the remaining gaps” while trying to secure the hostage deal, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.

“We still believe those gaps can be narrowed … and we can move forward. But obviously, as I said earlier, it’s going to take compromise, it’s going to take leadership,” he said.

“There’s no indication that we see, at this point in time, the weekend strike by Hezbollah into the Golan [Heights] area is going to negatively affect those discussions,” Kirby added.

Kirby also pushed back on the suggestion that Vice President Kamala Harris had a different message for Netanyahu from President Joe Biden, saying there was “no daylight” between their messages, and that reporting suggesting otherwise was “unfortunate and inaccurate.”

“There was no daylight between anything, the president, the vice president told the prime minister. Same points, same emphasis — the commitment and reaffirmation to help Israel continue to defend itself against these threats. Same reaffirmation by both the president and the vice president, that we want to see the cease-fire deal get enacted because of what it can do to improve the humanitarian situation. And of course, getting those hostages home with their families,” Kirby said.

Pressed on why Harris had her own meeting if their message was the same, Kirby defended Harris.

“The vice president couldn’t be in town for the meeting in the Oval [Office], and as she has been a full partner in all our foreign policy, but certainly in particular, the policy that this administration has pursued with respect to the Middle East, she felt it was important to also sit down with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

12:21 PM EDT
White House condemns ‘horrific’ attack on Golan Heights

The United States “absolutely condemn this weekend’s horrific attack” that killed children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.

At least 12 people were killed, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as responsible for the strike.

Kirby also assigned blame to Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying “it was their rocket launched from an area that they control.”

“The United States will continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along that blue line that will, No. 1, end these terrible attacks once and for all, and No. 2, allow Israeli and Lebanese citizens on both sides of the border to safely return to their homes,” Kirby said.

Kirby stressed that U.S. support for Israeli security remains “ironclad” against all Iran-backed threats, adding, “We believe that there is still time and space for a diplomatic solution.”

Asked if the administration was urging Israel to show restraint in any response, Kirby said that Hezbollah made the first strike on Israel back in October and that “Israel has every right to respond,” but he said he was confident that a broader conflict could be avoided.

“Nobody wants a broader war and I’m confident that we’ll be able to avoid such an outcome. I’ll let the Israelis really speak to whatever their response is going to be,” Kirby said.

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

4:43 PM EDT
Netanyahu and Gallant to decide how to retaliate for Golan Heights attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were granted the authority Sunday to decide the manner and timing of a response to the alleged attack by Hezbollah on the town of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights, according to the prime minister’s office.

During a meeting in Tel Aviv, members of Israel’s political-security cabinet gave Netanyahu and Gallant the authority to devise a plan to retaliate for the strike that killed 12 people, including children playing soccer, according to the statement from the prime minister’s office.

“The members of the cabinet authorized the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense to decide on the manner of response against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, and when,” according to the statement.

Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack. The Israel Defense Forces and the White House both blamed Hezbollah for the attack.

-ABC News’ Jordana Miller

1:41 PM EDT
White House blames Hezbollah for deadly rocket attack on Golan Heights

The White House on Sunday blamed Hezbollah for the rocket strike Saturday on Golan Heights that it said killed children playing soccer.

At least 12 people were killed in the weekend attack in Majdal Shams, a town in the Golan Heights, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

“We have been in continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts since the horrific attack yesterday in northern Israel that killed a number of children playing soccer,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah. It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”

Hezbollah has denied involvement in the rocket attack in Majdal Shams. But the IDF said a Hezbollah rocket was used in the attack, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier Sunday that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as responsible for the strike.

-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow

July 28, 2024, 12:35 PM EDT
Middle East Airlines delays flights following Israeli strike on Lebanon

Lebanon’s flagship air carrier, Middle East Airlines, delayed departures of several inbound flights to Beirut on Sunday, the airline announced.

The decision by Middle East Airlines came after the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that the military struck targets “deep inside” Lebonnon overnight. The IDF attack in Lebanon unfolded a day after a rocket strike killed 12 people in Majdal Shams, a town in Golan Heights.

Hezbollah denied involvement in the rocket attack in Majdal Shams, but IDF officials claim it was a Hezbollah rocket that hit a sports field, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “every indication” points to Hezbollah as being responsible for the strike.

Middle East Airlines said it delayed the departures of six inbound flights to Beruit that would normally land at night. The flights are now scheduled to land during the day on Monday, the airline said.

Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian Airlines also told ABC News it is considering rescheduling a flight from Amman to Beirut to early Monday morning.

-ABC News’ Ghazi Balkiz

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(NEW YORK) — The U.S. military conducted a defensive airstrike south of Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, according to two U.S. officials.

“U.S. forces in Iraq conducted a defensive airstrike in the Musayib in Babil Province, targeting combatants attempting to launch one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWAUAS),” one of the officials told ABC News.

“Based on recent attacks in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Central Command assessed that the OWAUAS posed a threat to U.S. and Coalition Forces,” the official said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iraqi officials had reported blasts in an area south of Baghdad that is a hub for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, the umbrella name for Iranian-backed militia groups operating under Iraq’s Defense Ministry.

A statement provided to ABC News by the Popular Mobilization Authority said, “Forces affiliated with the 47th Brigade… were exposed to an explosion of unknown nature, which resulted in the martyrdom of a number of people and the injury of others.”

Tuesday’s U.S. airstrike was the first one in Iraq since February, when a drone strike killed a top leader of one of the Iranian-backed militia groups the U.S. had held responsible for close to 170 rocket and drone attacks against U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.

The attacks against U.S. bases ceased after that airstrike, with the exception of two attacks in April, but there have been a series of new attacks over the past week.

Unlike previous U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that were in retaliation for the attacks on U.S. bases, Tuesday’s airstrike was described as defensive and targeting militants preparing to undertake an attack.

These pre-emptive airstrikes have become commonplace in Yemen, where the U.S. has been targeting Houthi militants preparing attacks against commercial shipping around the Red Sea.

It is unclear if Tuesday’s airstrike will lead to similar activity should militants continue targeting U.S. bases.

But a U.S. official indicated that Tuesday’s airstrike underscored the U.S. commitment to protecting its personnel and said, “We maintain the inherent right to self-defense and will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”

There are still 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq and about 900 serving in Syria, assisting local security forces in preventing the resurgence of ISIS.

Since earlier this year, the U.S. and Iraq have been discussing changes to the continued presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.

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(NEW YORK) — A violent protest broke out in the United Kingdom on Tuesday in the wake of a vigil for the victims of a deadly stabbing spree, resulting in nearly two dozen officers injured and cars set on fire, police said.

Twenty-two officers were injured, eight seriously, following “violent disorder” in Southport, a seaside town about 20 miles north of Liverpool, according to Merseyside police.

The protest broke out Tuesday evening after a large group of people started throwing bricks at a mosque in Southport, police said. The protesters are believed to be supporters of the far-right English Defence League, police said.

Cars were set on fire and a local convenience store was also damaged, police said.

The protest followed a peaceful vigil for the victims of a deadly stabbing that occurred a day prior in the town.

Three children were killed and nine others injured in the stabbing incident, police said. Two adults were also injured while trying to protect the children, police said.

Merseyside police said the children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school at the time.

A 17-year-old boy from Banks, a coastal village in Lancashire, just outside Southport, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, police said. The suspect, whose name was not released, was born in Cardiff, Wales, police said.

The motive remains unclear, police said.

Tuesday’s protests were apparently fueled by “speculation” over the unidentified suspect, Merseyside Assistant Chief Constable Alex Goss said.

“There has been much speculation and hypothesis around the status of a 17-year-old male who is currently in police custody and some individuals are using this to bring violence and disorder to our streets,” Goss said in a statement. “We have already said that the person arrested was born in the UK and speculation helps nobody at this time.”

Goss said protesters used bricks to attack officers and damaged cars parked in the mosque parking lot. Officers sustained injuries including fractures, cuts, head injuries and a concussion, police said.

“This is no way to treat a community, least of all a community that is still reeling from the events of Monday,” Goss said.

U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also decried the violence, calling the attacks on police and the mosque “appalling.”

“The community of Southport are reeling from a horrifying ordeal and families are grieving,” Cooper said in a statement. “This violent thuggery, which has overshadowed a peaceful vigil for three little girls, is an insult to the community and to all those who need the space to process what has happened and to heal.”

Earlier Tuesday, hundreds of people attended a vigil for the stabbing victims in the center of Southport.

Three girls — 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar — were killed in the stabbing.

Five children and two adults injured in the stabbing remained in critical condition on Tuesday, police said.

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(BEIRUT, Lebanon) — Two people are dead and 20 others were injured after Israel launched a strike on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on Tuesday that targeted a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions along Israel’s northern border continue to escalate.

The strike hit a residential building in Haret Hreik, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.

Fouad Shukr, also known as Al-Hajj Mohsen, was targeted in the strike, according to three security sources familiar with the operation. Shukr is a senior adviser on military affairs to Hasan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah. He also had a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture, via the U.S. government.

The IDF claimed that Shukr was killed in the strike.

“The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News in a statement.

“Hezbollah crossed the red line,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media.

Israel struck Dahiya, a district in Beirut’s southern suburbs that is a stronghold of militant group Hezbollah.

Twelve people, including children playing soccer, were killed in a strike on the Golan Heights over the weekend. Hezbollah denied responsibility, but both the U.S. and Israel have said the missile used in the attack came from a Hezbollah-controlled location.

“This attack was conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement Sunday. “It was their rocket, and launched from an area they control. It should be universally condemned.”

In recent days, Hezbollah has said that any strike in Beirut would be met with a strong response of their own.

Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the area struck was meters away from one of the largest hospitals in Lebanon and said they reserve the right to respond to Israel’s attack.

“This criminal act that occurred tonight is a link in a series of aggressive operations that are claiming civilians in a clear and frank violation of International law and international humanitarian law, which is something we put in place for the international community, which must bear its responsibilities and press with all force to oblige Israel to stop its aggression and threats and implement international resolutions,” Mikati said Tuesday.

The U.S. was given advanced notice ahead of Israel’s strike in Beirut, according to a U.S. official familiar with matter. The message was communicated via security channels and limited operational detail was shared, the official said.

It’s still unclear whether the strike successfully eliminated its target, and assessments are ongoing, according to the U.S. official.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Pate said earlier that the U.S. has been in “continuous discussions with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts” since the weekend.

“The United States is going to continue to support efforts to reach a diplomatic solution along the blue line,” Pate said.

“Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad, and it’s unwavering, especially as it defends itself against Iran backed threats, including threats from Hezbollah,” Pate told reporters.

ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston contributed to this report.

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(BEIRUT, Lebanon) — has launched a strike on Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, on Tuesday targeting a senior Hezbollah commander as tensions along Israel’s northern border continue to escalate.

“The IDF targeted in Beirut the commander responsible for the murder of the children in Majdal Shams and killed many Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News in a statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Carrie Underwood has expanded her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency into 2025.

The newly announced dates are slated for March 26, 28 and 29, and April 2, 4 and 5. 

Fan club presale begins Wednesday before the general sale on Friday at 5 a.m. PT. 

The long-running residency continues this year with upcoming shows on August 14, 16, 17, 21, 23 and 24, and October 16, 18, 19, 23, 25 and 26.

For the full REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency schedule and more information, visit rwlasvegas.com.

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(LONDON) — Police investigating the deadly attack on a children’s Taylor Swift-themed event in a seaside town of Southport, United Kingdom, said a third child died following the attack, as the musician said she was “in shock.”

“The investigation is in its early stages and the motivation for the incident remains unclear,” Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said on Monday.

Officers responded just before noon local time to reports of a stabbing at a property on Hart Street in Southport, a seaside town about 20 miles north of Liverpool, according to Merseyside Police.

Two children — a 6-year-old and 7-year-old — were killed and nine others were injured on Monday in the stabbing attack at an event at a dance school in the seaside town, police had said.

A third child, a 9-year-old girl, died on Tuesday morning in the hospital, police said. She was one of six wounded children who had been in critical condition, along with two adults, who were also stabbed, police said.

“We believe that the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked,” Kennedy said Monday.

Merseyside Police said the children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school. A flyer for the two-hour event called it a “Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop.” The event was for children between 6 and 11 years old, according to post on the organizer’s Instagram.

The “horror” of the attack was “washing over me continuously,” Swift said in a post on Instagram. She said she was “completely in shock.”

“The loss of life and innocent, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders,” she said. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to even convey my sympathies to these families.”

A 17-year-old boy from Banks, a coastal village in Lancashire, just outside Southport, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, police said.

The suspect, whose name was not released, was born in Cardiff, Wales, police said.

The “full circumstances” were still being investigated, police said, adding that the attack wasn’t being investigated as terror-related. Police were not searching for additional suspects, they said.

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