Injured Gaza teen arrives in US for medical treatment after arm amputations
KATU
(PORTLAND, Or.) — A teenager who was seriously injured in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war has arrived in the United States for treatment.
Diaa Al-Haqq, 15, was injured when an alleged Israeli missile attack hit a café in Gaza, the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) — the nongovernmental organization that arranged his evacuation — told Portland, Oregon, ABC affiliate KATU. Diaa’s arms were severely injured and he had amputations on both arms below his elbows.
Diaa and his sister, Aya, arrived at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Saturday, the local PCRF chapter in Portland said in a post on Instagram. After a brief layover, Diaa arrived in Portland, where he will be receiving medical care, on Sunday, according to the chapter.
Videos shared to social media showed Diaa, sitting in a wheelchair, arrive to a cheering crowd waving Palestinian flags.
“We’re really excited that he’s able to come here for treatment and be safely hosted within the Portland community in the coming months,” Niyyah Ruschaer-Haqq, a nurse practitioner in Portland, told KATU.
The PCRF said it worked with several organizations — including the World Health Organization and the nonprofits Human Concern International and FAJR Scientific — to evacuate eight critically injured children, including Diaa, and their companions from Gaza to Jordan. The children were then taken to the U.S. for medical care.
Diaa is one of two children whose medical care will be supported by the PCRF, while the remaining six children will have their medical care supported by other organizations, the PCRF said.
The organization said Diaa dreamed of becoming a professional photographer and loved documenting nature, according to KATU. It’s unclear how long Diaa will remain in the U.S. receiving care.
The PCRF did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 12,000 children have been injured, equating to almost 70 every day, according to UNICEF. They are “disproportionately wearing the scars of the war in Gaza,” according to the humanitarian aid organization.
Last month, UNICEF said that between Jan. 1 and May 7 of this year, an average of 296 children were being medically evacuated from Gaza each month. However, since the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was closed on May 7 after Israeli forces launched a ground operation, just 22 children have been medically evacuated every month.
“As a result, children in Gaza are dying — not just from the bombs, bullets and shells that strike them — but because, even when ‘miracles happen,’ even when the bombs go off and the homes collapse and the casualties mount, but the children survive, they are then prevented from leaving Gaza to receive the urgent care that would save their lives,” UNICEF said in an October press release.
Since Hamas launched its surprise terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel responded by declaring war, at least 43,800 people have been killed in Gaza and at least 103,700 have been injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. About 1,700 Israelis have been killed and about 8,700 have been injured, according to Israeli officials.
Yauhen Yerchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(LONDON and BELGRADE) — A team of Lithuanian investigators recovered the black boxes from Monday’s deadly cargo plane crash, as they began their probe into what caused the aircraft to go down and worked to clear the crash site.
Investigators from the U.S. were dispatched to aid in the investigation, officials said. German aviation experts had arrived to help, while Spanish investigators were expected to arrive later Tuesday.
The jet crashed on Monday morning less than a mile from the runway at Vilnius International Airport, officials said. One of the four people onboard was killed in the crash, local officials said.
Lithuanian police and prosecutors have opened a “pre-trial” investigation into the crash, according to Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, whose office held a meeting late Monday on the government response.
The government has ordered an investigation under the country’s criminal code, which calls for probes into “‘Improper maintenance or repair of vehicles or roads, or of equipment thereon,’ which provides for liability in the event of loss of life, serious injury to persons or very serious damage to property,” the prime minister’s office said.
“I urge everyone to have confidence in the investigating authorities’ ability to conduct a thorough and professional investigation within an optimal timeframe,” Šimonytė said in a statement. “Only these investigations will uncover the true causes of the incident—speculation and guesswork will not help establish the truth.”
The investigation will be led by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Division, with aid from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the board said on Monday.
The results of that investigation are expected to be made public, the NTSB said.
Lithuanian officials said on Tuesday that they expected the inspection of the crashed plane to be mostly completed within three days, at which point the destroyed plane will be removed from the site. Officials told reporters that they were searching for a hanger where they can begin to place aircraft parts.
The DHL cargo plane — a Boeing 737-476 operated by Swiftair — had flown into Lithuania from Germany. It crashed in a residential area in Liepkalnis, on the outskirts of the capital, Vilnius, the Lithuanian airport authority said in a statement posted on social media on Monday.
One of the pilots, who was from Spain, was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was transferred to a local hospital in critical condition, Bozena Jerenkovic, a medical doctor who was part of the emergency team on site, told ABC News on Monday. It appeared that the cockpit had been separated from the plane’s fuselage, she added.
The Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center confirmed to ABC News that the pilot is in critical condition. The other two people who were injured in the crash are doing OK, the center said.
ABC News has reached out to Bonn, Germany-based DHL for comment.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Melissa Gaffney contributed to this report.
(DOHA) — A ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas, more than 15 months into the conflict.
The Qatari prime minister is expected to speak shortly in Doha on the deal, a Qatari official told ABC News.
According to the Hamas delegation in Doha, the provisions Hamas agreed to include the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, including the Philadelphi corridor, in stages, and handing over 33 Israeli prisoners, dead and alive, in exchange for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Negotiations would be completed in stages for the release of the remaining hostages, according to the Hamas delegation.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that they resolved an issue over forces on the Philadelphi corridor, though there are several “unresolved clauses” in the deal they hope to finalize Wednesday night.
The provisions also include the opening of the Rafah crossing, according to the Hamas delegation. Coordination is currently underway to open the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing to allow the entry of international aid into Gaza, an Egyptian security source told ABC News.
President Joe Biden is expected to address the deal soon.
President-elect Donald Trump also said a hostage deal has been reached, writing in a Truth Social post, “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
Trump took credit for what he called an “EPIC” ceasefire agreement, saying it “could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November.” He said his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and U.S. allies to “make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven.”
The families of seven American hostages in Gaza said they are “deeply grateful” that an agreement for the phased release of hostages has been reached.
“The coming days and weeks will be just as painful for our families as the entirety of our loved ones’ horrific ordeals,” the families said in a statement. “That is why we ask all parties to stay committed to this agreement, every phase until it is fully implemented and everyone has been returned. We feel hopeful that under President Trump’s leadership, every last hostage will come home.”
A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Jan. 3 in Qatar. Delegations from both Israel and Hamas were dispatched to Doha to resume the negotiations, which were brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The Biden administration also helped broker the talks.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously told reporters the United States wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Blinken on Jan. 6 reported “intensified engagement,” including by Hamas, on reaching a deal, though he added, “We are yet to see agreement on final points.”
“We need Hamas to make the final necessary decisions to complete the agreement and to fundamentally change the circumstance for the hostages, getting them out, for people in Gaza, bringing them relief, and for the region as a whole, creating an opportunity to actually move forward to something better, more secure for everyone involved,” Blinken said at the time.
The deal comes after a ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and Hezbollah in November, weeks after Israel invaded southern Lebanon as part of an escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah.
It also follows the high-profile assassinations last year of Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar — with Sinwar being one of the key architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — as well as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has claimed responsibility for their deaths.
In over a year of war between Israel and Hamas, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza and almost 110,000 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. That figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. However, more than 14,000 children and 8,000 women have been killed, according to the health ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they have killed more than 15,000 combatants throughout the course of the war, which was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in southern Israel. More than 1,200 people were killed and another 253 were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
During a weeklong ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in late November 2023, Hamas freed more than 100 people. In exchange, Israel released more than 200 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. Several hostages in Gaza have also been freed in the months since, while the bodies of others have been recovered.
Amid the renewed negotiations in early January, 94 abductees remained in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead, according to Israeli officials.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(LONDON) — A ceasefire has been reached between Israel and Hamas, with the Qatari prime minister announcing the deal Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Biden announces ceasefire deal
President Joe Biden released a statement saying Hamas and Israel had agreed to a deal, “after many months of intensive diplomacy,” by the United States, Egypt and Qatar.
“I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council,” Biden said in the statement. “It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”
Biden also highlighted the three living American hostages who are still being held, and the four remains of American hostages yet to be returned.
What comes next in ceasefire process?
While a ceasefire agreement has been reached between Hamas and Israeli negotiators, the Israeli government still needs to approve the deal.
The deal is expected to be approved, but it will take several votes.
Netanyahu says Philadelphi snag was resolved
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said in a statement that the snag about control of the Philadelphia axis — the strip of land between Gaza and Egypt — has been worked out.
However, his office said they are still working out several unresolved issues.
“In light of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s firm stance, Hamas has backed down on its demand at the last minute to change the deployment of forces on the Philadelphia axis,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “However, there are still several unresolved clauses in the outline, and we hope that the details will be finalized tonight.”
Trump celebrates ceasefire, takes credit for deal
President-elect Donald Trump immediately posted on Truth Social about the agreement on the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
He wrote, in all caps, “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
He then also followed that up with a post taking credit for the deal, though the Biden administration has also been involved in the negotiations.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump wrote.
Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire agreement
A ceasefire agreement has been reached between Israel and Hamas, more than 15 months into the conflict.
A new round of ceasefire negotiations began on Jan. 3 in Qatar. Delegations from Israel and Hamas were dispatched to Doha to resume the negotiations, which were brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The Biden administration also helped broker the talks.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously told reporters the United States wanted a ceasefire deal in Gaza and all remaining captives released before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Blinken on Jan. 6 reported “intensified engagement,” including by Hamas, on reaching a deal, though he added, “We are yet to see agreement on final points.”
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has hit a last-minute snag, with both sides at odds over the Philadelphia axis, a piece of land separating the Gaza Strip and Egypt, according to an Israeli source with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
“The Israeli negotiating team was recently informed that the Hamas terrorist organization decided at the last minute to make new demands – this time regarding the Philadelphia axis, in contrast to the maps that have already been approved by the cabinet and American mediators. Israel strongly opposes any changes to these maps,” the Israeli source told ABC News.
Hamas has given green light to ceasefire deal, sources say
Two sources close to the ceasefire negotiations tell ABC News Hamas has given the green light to the agreement.
“We are very close,” the sources said. “The goal (is) an agreement today or tomorrow.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
IDF attacks 50 Gaza targets as ceasefire deal nears
The Israel Defense Forces and Israeli intelligence agencies coordinated to attack around 50 targets across the Gaza Strip in the previous 24 hours, the IDF said in a Wednesday morning post to X.
The attacks targeted Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the IDF said.
It reported strikes in Gaza City in the north of the strip, Khan Younis in the south and Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
The targets included “terrorist cells, weapons depots, underground infrastructure, anti-tank positions and military structures,” the IDF said.
The latest wave of strikes came as ceasefire negotiators in Qatar reportedly neared a deal to pause — and eventually scale down — the 15-month-old war.
Israel, Hamas agree on core elements of Gaza ceasefire, but haggling over details: US officials
Israel and the highest ranks of Hamas have now agreed to the core elements of the hostage release-ceasefire deal on the table, but both sides are continuing to haggle over the details of the proposal, according to two officials familiar with the negotiations.
The outstanding differences are seen as relatively minor, but talks are expected to continue into Wednesday, the officials said.
Many of the items that are still being ironed out are tied to stubborn sticking points that have emerged in the past, like the operation of the Rafah border crossing and Israeli security concerns connected to the movement of displaced Palestinians back to their homes in northern Gaza.
The disagreements are unlikely to derail progress at this point, according to the officials.
Two of the three Americans that are possibly alive inside Gaza are poised to be released in the initial days or weeks of the ceasefire if an agreement is reached, but an official said they expect the releases will happen slower than they did during the truce in November 2023.
While they don’t have recent proof of life for the two Americans, the assumption is that they and most — but not all — of the 33 hostages freed under the deal will be returned alive.
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Kingston
Israel waiting to hear back from Hamas on ceasefire agreement
Israel is currently waiting to hear back from Hamas on the most recent draft language of a ceasefire deal, sources told ABC News.
The two sides are reportedly closer to an agreement than ever before, according to a spokesperson for Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani.
“The ongoing talks in Doha regarding Gaza are fruitful, positive and focus on the final details. Meetings are underway in Doha between the parties to the agreement and we are awaiting updates from them,” the spokesperson told ABC News.
Implementation of the agreement will begin shortly after it is announced, according to the spokesperson.
Qatar expecting ceasefire deal ‘soon’
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a Tuesday briefing that participants in the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha are close to a ceasefire deal.
“We expect the agreement to be announced soon,” the spokesperson said during the press conference.
Qatar is a key mediator between Israel and Hamas and has hosted several rounds of ceasefire talks in the capital Doha.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta
61 Palestinians killed in Gaza as ceasefire talks continue
The Gaza Ministry of Health said Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces strikes killed at least 61 Palestinians in the previous 24 hours and injured 281 more in the Hamas-run territory.
The total number of Palestinians killed since the war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, is now 46,645 with 110,012 people injured, according to the ministry.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
Hamas says Gaza talks are in ‘final stages’
Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks with Israel are in their “final stages,” adding it hopes “that this round of negotiations will end with a clear and comprehensive agreement.”
In a statement posted to the group’s website, Hamas said it held meetings and consultations with leaders of other Palestinian factions regarding the progress made in ongoing negotiations in Doha, Qatar.
“During these contacts, the leaders of the forces and factions expressed their satisfaction with the course of the negotiations, stressing the need for general national preparation for the next stage and its requirements,” Hamas said.
-ABC News’ Nasser Atta
Israel hoping for ceasefire announcement ‘soon,’ official says
An Israeli government official told ABC News on Tuesday morning they “hope we can announce something soon” regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza.
The official said there had been “real progress” on every part of the negotiation in the last few days.
The official added that Hamas has changed and they are no longer “dictating” the terms, but are negotiating. “We are close, but not there yet,” they said.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Sirens sound in central Israel after projectile launched from Yemen: IDF
A projectile was fired from Yemen towards Israel, the IDF said in a release early Tuesday morning local time.
Sirens were sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the IDF said.
Latest on hostages in ceasefire deal
Thirty-three hostages, living and dead, are expected to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of the ongoing negotiations.
There are 94 abductees remaining in Gaza, including 34 who have been confirmed dead, according to Israeli officials.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
‘Real chance’ of ceasefire success, source says
A source close to the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar told ABC News that Israel is waiting for Hamas to approve moving into a final “closing round of negotiations,” adding there is a “real chance” for a “breakthrough” after a diplomatic blitz in Doha this weekend.
“We still have ahead of us a closing round of negotiations,” the source added
Reuters reported Monday that mediators in Qatar handed both Israel and Hamas a final draft of the ceasefire proposal, citing an official briefed on the negotiations.
Reuters reported that the official said a breakthrough was reached after talks between Steve Witkoff — President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy — the Qatari prime minister and Israeli spy chiefs.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, meanwhile, said Monday “there is progress,” and that the situation “looks much better than previously.”
“I don’t want to say more than that because I realize there are families and they are sensitive to every word, and every sentence,” Saar added. “I hope that within a short time we will see things happening, but it is still to be proved.”
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Guy Davies
Far-right minister says potential Gaza ceasefire deal represents ‘catastrophe’
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he will not support the potential Gaza ceasefire deal currently being negotiated in Qatar, describing it as “a catastrophe for the national security of Israel.”
“We will not be part of a surrender deal that would include releasing arch terrorists, stopping the war and destroying its achievements that were bought with much blood and abandoning many hostages,” Smotrich wrote in a post to X on Monday.
“Now is the time to continue with all our might, to occupy and cleanse the entire strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas surrenders completely and all the hostages are returned.”
-ABC News’ Dana Savir
Netanyahu spoke with Biden on ceasefire and hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he spoke with President Joe Biden on Sunday about progress in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage deal.
A senior White House administration official confirmed the call to ABC News.
“The Prime Minister discussed with the US President the progress in negotiations for the release of our hostages, and updated him on the mandate he gave to the negotiating delegation to Doha, in order to promote the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu’s office wrote in a release about the call.
According to the White House, Biden and Netanyahu “discussed the fundamentally changed regional circumstances following the ceasefire deal in Lebanon, the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, and the weakening of Iran’s power in the region.”
The call comes as Brett McGurk, the White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, is in the Middle East for negotiations. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that McGurk is there to hammer out the “final details” of an agreement.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Michelle Stoddart
100 days of Israel’s north Gaza assault
Sunday marked 100 days since the Israel Defense Forces launched its military operation in northern Gaza, with the toll of dead and missing Palestinians now at 5,000 people, according to a report published by the Gaza media office in the Hamas-run territory.
Some 9,500 more people have been injured and 2,600 have been detained including women and children, the report said.
Israel continues striking targets across the strip. Over the last 24 hours, IDF attacks killed 24 Palestinians, according to data published by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The report added that 46,565 Palestinians have been killed by Israel throughout Gaza since the war began in October 2023, with another 109,660 people injured.
Israeli attacks in the north of Gaza have targeted civilian infrastructures and hospitals, which combined with a siege of the area have worsened a humanitarian crisis there.
Calling for an end to the war, the Gaza media office report urged the international community — including the UN — to take immediate action to stop the assault and address the humanitarian crisis in the strip.
Israeli strikes on Gaza continued as Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched senior negotiators to Qatar for ceasefire, prisoner and hostage release talks attended by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden’s outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
-ABC News’ Samy Zyara and Jordana Miller
High-level delegations gather in Doha for Gaza talks
For the first time in months, Israeli sources are expressing cautious optimism that a Gaza ceasefire may be within reach before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Officials close to the matter told ABC News on Sunday that a high-level Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad — David Barnea — arrived in Doha, Qatar, for a critical round of talks.
Others participating are Egyptian and U.S. officials including President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East adviser, Steven Witkoff, and President Joe Biden’s outgoing adviser, Brett McGurk.
Witkoff made a surprise visit to Israel Saturday and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, progress on some issues has been made — including the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released and the details of the Israel Defense Forces’ redeployment.
But some outstanding issues remain, including whether Hamas can provide Israel with a list of hostages who are alive. A Hamas official told Saudi media on Saturday that the group is ready to show flexibility.
The first phase of the deal is expected to last six to eight weeks, as the report suggests. A leaked hostage list by Hamas shows the names of two Americans to be released in the first phase. Seven Americans are among the 94 hostages, three of whom are presumed to still be alive.
