Supreme Court likely to shoot down Mexico’s $10B lawsuit against US gun makers
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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared likely to block a historic $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun makers as both conservative and liberal justices raised concerns about allowing the government of Mexico to hold firearm manufacturers liable for cartel violence south of the border.
Federal law grants broad immunity to the gun industry, in part to protect companies from costly litigation that could drive them out of business. Mexico alleges the law creates an exception for “aiding and abetting” the illicit sale and trafficking of guns, which the companies deny.
Mexico has only one gun store but is awash in millions of American-made weapons, most funneled into the country by straw purchasers in the United States. The country claims the companies, including Smith & Wesson, Glock, Beretta and Colt, knowingly distribute and market their guns to be trafficked.
By one estimate, at least 200,000 guns flow south of the border each year. The country is seeking $10 billion in damages and court-mandated safety requirements around the marketing and distribution of guns.
“The laws broken here are designed to keep guns out of criminals’ hands. Those violations put guns in criminals’ hands and those criminals harmed Mexico,” Cate Stetson, Mexico’s attorney, told the Supreme Court.
“These acts were foreseeable,” she added. “This court need not vouch for Mexico’s allegations, but it must assume they are true. … Mexico should be given a chance to prove its case.”
Many of the justices seemed unconvinced by Mexico’s case should be allowed to move forward.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested the alleged harms from cartel violence roiling Mexico are too far removed from the manufacturers’ decisions to distribute their products.
“We have repeatedly said mere knowledge is not enough [for liability],” Sotomayor said. “You have to aid and abet in some way. You have to intend and take affirmative action to … participate in what they’re doing.”
Justice Elena Kagan questioned what she perceived as a lack of specificity in Mexico’s allegations.
“There are lots of [gun] dealers. And you’re just saying [the gunmakers] know that some of them [engage in trafficking]. But which some of them? I mean, who are they aiding and abetting in this complaint?” Kagan said.
After Stetson alleged deliberate marketing of guns to cartels, Chief Justice John Roberts voiced skepticism of the claim.
“I mean, there are some people who want the experience of shooting a particular type of gun because they find it more enjoyable than using a BB gun,” he said. “And I just wonder exactly what the defendant, the manufacturer, is supposed to do in that situation. You say no, he shouldn’t be marketing a particular legal firearm because they’re going to go into Mexico at a higher percentage than others?”
Justice Brett Kavanaugh raised concern about the broader implications of a decision allowing Mexico’s suit to go forward.
“What do you do with the suggestion on the other side … that your theory of aiding and abetting liability would have destructive effects on the American economy in the sense that … lots of sellers and manufacturers of ordinary products know that they’re going to be misused by some subset of people?” he asked. “They know that to a certainty, that it’s going to be pharmaceuticals, cars, what — you can name lots of products. So that’s a real concern, I think.”
Stetson replied, “If you have a product manufacturer of a dangerous product that is alleged to have done all of the things knowing who they’re selling to and what is being done with that product, then and only then, I think, that product manufacturer … has a problem.”
More than 160,000 people in Mexico were killed by guns between 2015 and 2022, according to an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety.
A large majority of guns involved in the shootings came from U.S. border states. More than 40% of illegal guns seized in Mexico over a five-year period came from Texas, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.
In 2023 alone, more than 2,600 firearms were seized going south into Mexico, up 65% from the year before, according to the Department of Homeland Security, and 115,000 rounds of ammunition were captured headed the same direction, up 19% from 2022.
A federal district court dismissed Mexico’s case in 2022 citing immunity under federal law. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision in early 2024, saying Mexico had made a plausible case for liability under the law’s exception.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide by the end of June whether or not a liability case can move forward.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump will hold a high-stakes call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he tries to win his approval of a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
“It’s a bad situation in Russia, and it’s a bad situation in Ukraine,” Trump said on Monday. “What’s happening in Ukraine is not good, but we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, a ceasefire and peace, and I think we’ll be able to do it.”
That positive assessment follows his prediction Sunday night that “we’ll see if we have something to announce — maybe by Tuesday,” saying “a lot of work” had been done over the weekend. “Maybe we can. Maybe we can’t, but I think we have a very good chance.”
The Kremlin on Tuesday said it expects the call within a two-hour window beginning at about 9 a.m. ET. The encounter would be the first known call between Trump and Putin since peace talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials a week ago in Saudi Arabia yielded Kyiv agreeing to an immediate, temporary stop to hostilities should Russia do the same.
Since then, Putin has been noncommittal on the proposal while fighting intensifies in Kursk.
Putin said he was “for” a ceasefire but raised concerns and set out his own conditions, such as certain security guarantees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has accused the Russian leader of obstructing peace and “prolonging” the war.
Trump on Monday said the only reason he was involved in negotiations is “for humanity.”
“A lot of people are being killed over there. And, we had to get Ukraine to do the right thing. It was not an easy situation. You got to see a little glimpse at the Oval Office, but I think they’re doing the right thing right now. And we’re trying to get a peace agreement done. We want to get a ceasefire and then a peace agreement,” he said.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy will monitor the conversation between Trump and Putin with caution and great interest, a Ukrainian official informed about the matter told ABC News.
“We agreed to the U.S. ceasefire proposal with zero conditions, and if Putin is gonna start playing with Trump setting demands — it will not work,” the source added.
A key question moving forward is how far Trump will go in pressuring Russia to agree to a ceasefire and ultimately bring an end to the three-year conflict, which began when Putin’s forces invaded its sovereign neighbor.
The Trump administration took drastic steps in stopping military aid and pausing some intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the Oval Office clash between Trump and Zelenskyy. Those two tools resumed after Ukraine agreed to the ceasefire last Tuesday.
Plus, U.S. officials have said it would be unrealistic for Ukraine to return to its prewar borders and expressly ruled out its bid for NATO membership.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has not publicly made similar demands of Putin.
Trump on Sunday said land and power plants were on the table for Tuesday’s discussion, as well as “dividing up certain assets” between the two countries.
“Well, I think we’ll be talking about land. It’s a lot of land. It’s a lot different than it was before the wars, you know. And we’ll be talking about land, we’ll be talking about power plants. That’s a big question, but I think we have a lot of it already discussed, very much by both sides,” he told reporters on Air Force One.
Trump last week said his administration could ramp up pressure on Russia but hoped it wouldn’t be “necessary.”
“There are things you could do that wouldn’t be pleasant in a financial sense,” he said. “I can do things financially that would be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace.”
ABC News’ Oleksiy Pshemyskiy and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
Tetiana Dzhafarova and Alex Wroblewski via Getty Images
(LONDON) — President Donald Trump’s pursuit of a deal to access Ukrainian mineral resources has upended America’s transatlantic ties in recent weeks, with the White House unsettling European allies and Ukrainian partners with a push for future profits.
Trump on Tuesday lauded the draft agreement as a “very big deal,” one that he said will grant Kyiv “military equipment and the right to fight on.”
Various estimates suggest there could be hundreds of billions — perhaps even trillions — of dollars worth of rare earth minerals under Ukrainian soil. Among them are thought to be significant deposits of lithium, titanium, copper, nickel, cobalt, graphite and uranium.
Just before Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his nation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svetlana Grinchuk said her nation was one to “about 5% of all the world’s ‘critical raw materials.'”
Nonetheless, there is a paucity of information on the extent and accessibility of Ukrainian mineral resources.
“Unfortunately, there is no modern assessment” of rare earth reserves in Ukraine, Roman Opimakh — the former director general of the Ukrainian Geological Survey — told S&P Global Commodity Insights this month. “And there is still restriction to make this information public.” Current estimates are based on Soviet-era mapping and exploration methods, he added.
Indeed, the section of the Ukraine’s State Service of Geology and Subsoil website detailing the country’s potential reserves is not currently accessible. “In accordance with legal requirements, open access to this section of the site is limited for the period of martial law,” a message reads.
The resources that are there will not necessarily be easy to reach, Gracelin Baskaran and Meredith Schwartz of the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote this month.
The financial returns of Trump’s would-be deal are “unlikely to be consequential in the medium term given the barriers to investment,” they wrote.
The war has wiped out “essential” mining infrastructure, they added, as well as the power generating capabilities needed to feed intensive mining projects. “There will need to be a significant buildout of energy infrastructure” for mineral exploration or production to commence,” the authors said.
The development of a single mine can cost up to $4 million, Oleksandr Vodoviz — the head of the chief executive officer’s office at Metinvest Group — said. Developing a facility akin to the coking coal plant in Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine — which is the largest enterprise in Ukraine — would require around $10 billion.
Persistent security risks may also deter required investment. “While Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy may reach a peace deal, the threat of further conflict and land expropriation will loom given the long-standing nature of the conflict,” Baskaran and Schwartz said.
The geographical spread of Ukraine’s minerals complicates the security picture. Many concentrations of the most valuable resources are in the east of the country, including in territory currently occupied by Russian forces and along the devastated front line, within range of Russian weapons.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seemingly aware of the global appeal of Ukraine’s natural resources, cited them in his October 2024 “Victory Plan.”
The fourth of its five points noted Ukrainian natural resources as “our opportunity for growth,” and offered its strategic partners investment opportunities in this arena. This point also had a secret annex that was only shared with designated partners.
The U.S. is set to lead the foreign investment charge. A senior Ukrainian official told ABC News on Tuesday that the two sides had agreed the terms of the proposed deal.
Trump did not confirm the U.S. had agreed, instead telling reporters he had heard that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, D.C., to finalize the compact on Friday. “It’s OK with me if he’d like to,” Trump said.
The president has framed the minerals deal as a means to recoup American wartime aid to Ukraine, claiming — without offering evidence — that the U.S. has contributed $350 billion to Kyiv over three years.
The deal foresees the creation of a jointly-owned U.S.-Ukrainian reconstruction investment fund, through which resources can be owned and developed.
A Ukrainian government source told ABC News that the latest version of the agreement does not include the initial U.S. demand of access to resources worth $500 billion, nor the opening position that the U.S. would entirely own the proposed investment fund.
It also appears that the resources the agreement does not cover resources that currently contribute to the Ukrainian budget — that means no oil and gas, or likely the majority of the country’s mineral resources.
Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, told BBC News the mineral deal seems like a “sideshow” and mostly designed to “keep Mr. Trump happy.”
“But it is not going to give a lot of money to the U.S., and I don’t see it having any materially economic effect for very many years,” Bildt said.
Ukraine is demanding security guarantees as part of the deal, though ABC News understands that provision is not currently part of the draft agreement. Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to discuss the issue when the former travels to Washington, D.C. on Friday.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky, Patrick Reevell and Natalia Popova contributed to this report.
(LONDON) — A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect on Sunday morning. Hostages held in the strip and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails will be freed in the first phase of the deal.
Meanwhile, the November ceasefire in Lebanon is holding despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets, which Israeli officials say are responses to ceasefire violations by the Iranian-backed militant group. Israeli forces also remain active inside the Syrian border region as victorious rebels there build a transitional government.
Tensions remain high between Israel and Iran after tit-for-tat long-range strikes in recent months and threats of further military action from both sides. The IDF and the Yemeni Houthis also continue to exchange attacks.
Israel Prison Service says Palestinian prisoners released
The Israeli Prison says it has released the Palestinian prisoners slated for release on Saturday as part of the hostage and prisoner release.
Video shows busses carrying the prisoners leaving Ofer prison and some of the busses driving into Ramallah in the West Bank, still making their way to their destination. Other buses, carrying prisoners who will be taken to Gaza, and some to Egypt, drove to the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Prisoners being released into Gaza have not yet crossed the border, according to ABC News’ producer on the ground.
“The Israel Prison Service concludes the second imprisoned terrorist release in accordance with the agreement for the return of the hostages, as part of operation ” Wings of Freedom,” read the statement from Israeli Prison Service Statement. “As part of Operation ‘Derech Eretz,’ 200 terrorists were transferred from several prisons across the country to the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons, escorted by officers from the Israel Prison Service’s ‘Nahshon’ Unit and with the assistance of the Israel Police.
“After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the ‘Ofer’ and ‘Ktziot’ prisons. The prison officers of the Israel Prison Service are carrying out the release of the terrorists in accordance with the political directive, as agreed upon for the return of the hostages, and in full coordination with all security agencies,” the statement said.
Israel won’t allow Palestinians to return to north Gaza until Israeli female civilian released
Israel says it won’t allow Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza until Hamas releases Israeli civilian Arbel Yehud, who Israel says was supposed to be freed Saturday as part of the agreement.
“Israel today received four female soldiers kidnapped from the Hamas terrorist organization, and in exchange will release security prisoners according to the agreed-upon key,” read a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. “In accordance with the agreement, Israel will not allow Gazans to cross into the northern Gaza Strip – until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged.”
Hamas has yet to comment on the situation.
Returning hostages to undergo medical assessment after reuniting with families in Israel
A joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security agency confirms that the four newly released hostages have been “reunited with their parents” in southern Israel and “will undergo an initial medical assessment” at a local hospital.
“The four returning hostages – Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev – have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel where they are being reunited with their parents,” the statement said.
“IDF officers from the Manpower Directorate and IDF medical officials are accompanying the returning hostages, and they will undergo an initial medical assessment. IDF representatives are accompanying their families waiting at the hospital and updating them with the latest available information.”
Newly-released hostages meeting with parents, Hamas failed to release civilians
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, gave a televised statement Saturday morning, in which he confirmed that the four female IDF soldiers who were just released from captivity in Gaza are now meeting with their parents in Israel.
Hagari said Hamas failed to meet its commitment to the agreement for Saturday to also release civilians and that they must free Yehud Arbel and Agam Berger.
He said the IDF also expects them to release Shira Bibas and her children, saying there’s grave concerns about their wellbeing.
He called the event in which Hamas brought the hostages onto a stage in a crowded square in Gaza City before releasing them a “cynical” show.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller
Hostages now on Israeli territory after being released in Gaza
The Four returning hostages — Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy and Karina Ariev — have crossed into Israeli territory with IDF and ISA Forces, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Security Agency.
“A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the four returning hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory,” the statement read. “The returning hostages are currently on their way to an initial reception point in southern Israel, where they will be reunited with their parents
Hostages now with IDF, on the way to Israel
Four female hostages, who appeared to be wearing IDF uniforms and carrying paper bags, were just escorted by Palestinian fighters out of vehicles to a stage in the square, where they were seen smiling and waving at the cheering crowd. They were then escorted into the Red Cross vehicles, which are now slowly driving out of the crowded square.
“The Israeli government embraces the four returning Israel Defense Forces soldiers,” according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. “Their families have been informed by the designated authorities that they have joined our forces. The Israeli government is committed to the return of all abducted and missing persons.”
Red Cross convoy arrives at Palestine Square in Gaza City
A Red Cross convoy has entered Palestine Square in Gaza City,
This comes as a large crowd of Hamas fighters and vehicles have also gathered ahead of the expected hostage release.
There is currently no indication of the presence of the hostages.
Hamas is expected to release Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. In exchange, Israel will release 200 Palestinians being held in prisons.
IDF prepares for hostage release
The IDF says they have completed preparations for Saturday’s hostage release from Gaza, according to a statement.
“IDF completes preparations for the absorption of abductees returning to Israel from the Gaza Strip ahead of the second exchange,” the statement read. “The IDF, led by the Human Resources and Medical Corps, has completed its preparations for the second time to absorb abductees returning to Israel from the Gaza Strip.”
“The Human Resources and Medical Corps has established and trained initial absorption points where medical care and personal escort will be provided. After that, the returnees will proceed to hospitals and meet with their families.”
Israel kills 10 more in West Bank operation
Israel confirmed it killed 10 more Palestinians in an ongoing operation in the West Bank, bringing the death toll to 20 this week.
Israel also said it apprehended 20 wanted suspects and additional weapons were confiscated.
The Israel Defense Forces will continue with the “counterterrorism operation” in Qabatiya, the IDF said in a statement.
Israel announces names of hostages to be released Saturday
Four Israeli solidiers are expected to be released on Saturday in a hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel.
Hamas will release Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20; Naama Levy, 20; and Liri Albag, 19. In exchange, Israel will release 200 Palestinians being held in prisons.
The soldiers were seen in a video released in May.
Hamas to release 4 female soldiers
Hamas will release four female soldiers in the a hostage exchange on Saturday. Israel had been expecting the release of a civilian.
Israel is checking with Qatar to clarify why the civilian is not being released.
Israel has still not released the names of the 200 Palestinian prisoners it will release in exchange. Of those expected to be released, 120 have life sentences.
Israel to stay in southern Lebanon beyond ceasefire deadline
Israeli troops will remain in Lebanon beyond Sunday, when it was required to withdraw as per its November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
“The outline for the ceasefire in Lebanon stipulates that the IDF’s phased withdrawal should be implemented within 60 days. The clause was worded this way with the understanding that the withdrawal process may continue beyond 60 days,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Friday.
“The IDF’s withdrawal process is conditional on the Lebanese Army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani. Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the State of Lebanon, the phased withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States. The State of Israel will not endanger its communities and citizens and will insist on the full implementation of the goal of the fighting in the north — the safe return of residents to their homes,” Netanyahu said.
On Thursday, the Lebanese army said it is ready to deploy to the country’s south after the Israeli army withdraws from the region.
Jenin will be a ‘different place’ after Israeli operation, IDF chief says
The Israel Defense Forces are not stopping their operation in Jenin, in the West Bank, with more raids reported overnight Thursday.
“We need to be prepared to continue in the Jenin camp that will bring it to a different place — we are denying the enemy opportunities to harm our forces,” LT. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of the general staff, said on Thursday.
Israel says there is ‘much more work to do’ in Lebanon
While the Israeli government said there have been “positive movements” where the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon have taken control from Hezbollah forces, there is still work to be done, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told ABC News.
“There is much more work to do. Israel has made clear that they wish for this agreement to endure. Israel will certainly enforce this agreement as well as adhering to this agreement. But the movements have not been fast enough,” Mencer said.
Lebanese army says it’s ready to deploy to the south
The Lebanese army said it is ready to deploy to the country’s south after the Israeli army withdraws from the region, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement signed last year.
Civilians should not yet return to areas that Israel is withdrawing from, and should continue to follow the instructions of the military units until deployment ends, the Lebanese army said. Specialized units will still need to clear areas of mines and suspicious objects left by Israeli forces, the Lebanese army said.
Lebanese military units completed their deployment at several points in the town of Kfar Shuba, Hasbaya, in the eastern sector after the withdrawal of the Israeli troops.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon also said it is ready to support the Lebanese army after Israel withdraws.
Israel is required by the ceasefire to withdraw by Sunday.
At least 10 killed as Israel continues operation in Jenin
At least 10 Palestinians were killed and 40 injured as Israel continues a large operation in Jenin, turning its focus to the West Bank.
Israel launched a “significant” operation to “eradicate terrorism in Jenin,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Wednesday.
“This is another step towards achieving the goal we set — strengthening security in Judea and Samaria. We are acting systematically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it extends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria — and with our hands still outstretched,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
4 injured in Tel Aviv stabbing attack
At least four people were injured in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency services organization, said in a release.
Two men, ages 28 and 24, are being treated with upper-body stab wounds and are in moderate condition. Two other patients, ages 24 and 59, are in mild condition, the MDA said.
The injured are being taken to Ichilov Hospital.
The stabbing occurred on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Police Spokesperson’s Unit said. The attacker has been killed by police, the spokesperson’s unit added.
-ABC News’ Jordana Miller and Nasser Atta
At least 21 Palestinians injured in West Bank settler violence
At least 21 Palestinians were injured, 11 severely, after dozens of Israeli civilians, some of whom were masked, arrived at the area of Al Funduq, in the West Bank, and “instigated riots, set property on fire and caused damage,” according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Three homes were burned down and five cars were torched as well, the IDF said.
The civilians hurled rocks and attacked the security forces dispatched to the scene, according to the IDF.
Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz, despite freeing settlers who committed the same types of crimes, said he condemns the violence.
Over 1,500 aid trucks entered Gaza on day 1 and 2 of ceasefire, UN says
More than 1,500 trucks with humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip in the first two days of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
That includes more than 630 trucks on Sunday and 915 trucks on Monday, according to OCHA. Of the ones that crossed into Gaza on Sunday, OCHA said at least 300 trucks went to the north, which the U.N. has warned is facing imminent famine.
OCHA cited “information received through engagement with Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.”
“There is no time to lose,” the U.N.’s aid chief, Tom Fletcher, said in a statement Monday. “After 15 months of relentless war, the humanitarian needs are staggering.”
-ABC News’ Morgan Winsor
IDF says riots in the West Bank have dispersed
Israel Defense Forces and Israel Border Police Forces were dispatched to Al Funduq in the West Bank after reports of rioting in the area, the IDF said on Monday.
The alleged incident occurred shortly after Israel’s defense minister released all settlers being detained under administrative detention orders, though it cannot be certain that any of those settlers were involved in the reported riots. ABC News was able to confirm that fires had ignited in that location.
Shortly thereafter, the IDF confirmed that it had successfully dispersed rioters.
There have been no confirmed reports as to the extent of the damage or any injuries. Israeli officials are expected to conduct a formal inquiry in the area tonight.
-ABC News’ William Gretsky
Israeli forces recover body of fallen soldier in Gaza
Israeli forces recovered the body of Oron Shaul, an Israel Defense Forces soldier who was killed in 2014, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF announced Monday.
Shaul was killed during a battle in Gaza on July 30, 2014, and his body had been held by Hamas for the past 10 years, the IDF said.
“The recovery of Staff Sergeant, Oron Shaul’s body, was made possible due to a decade-long ongoing intelligence effort, which intensified during the war,” the IDF wrote in a statement about the operation on Monday.
Netanyahu spoke with Oron Shaul’s mother, Zehava Shaul, after the operation was successfully completed, a statement from his office said.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman and Jordan Miller
Next hostage exchange expected to take place Saturday
Both Israel and Hamas have confirmed the next hostage release will take place on Saturday.
A senior Israeli official confirmed the deal must take place on Jan. 25, as outlined in the ceasefire agreement. Hamas confirmed the date, saying “the second batch of prisoner exchange will take place on the scheduled date.”
Three hostages, all Israeli women, were released on Sunday, while 90 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israel in exchange.
Houthis say attacks on Israeli shipping will continue
Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced that they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea to only Israel-affiliated ships, signaling a temporary easing of their broader assault on commercial vessels.
The decision coincided with the ceasefire and hostage-release deal agreed between Israel and Hamas that went into effect on Sunday.
The announcement was made via an email sent to shipping companies by the Houthi Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, the Associated Press reported.
Attacks on Israeli-linked vessels will end “upon the full implementation of all phases” of the ceasefire, the Houthis said, adding that attacks on U.S.- or U.K.-linked shipping may resume if the two nations continue airstrikes in Yemen.
The Houthis have targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023, significantly affecting global shipping, particularly through Egypt’s Suez Canal.
The Houthis have also attacked American and allied military shipping in the region, plus launched drone and ballistic missile strikes into Israel.
-ABC News’ Somayeh Malekian
10,000 bodies may be under Gaza rubble, Civil Defense says
The Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza said there could be as many as 10,000 bodies buried under rubble all across the strip, as many displaced Gazans try to return to their homes under a nascent ceasefire agreement.
The Civil Defense said in a post to Telegram that 10,000 missing people are believed to be “under the rubble of destroyed homes, buildings and facilities.” They are not counted in the 38,300 fatalities listed by the Civil Defense since Oct. 7, 2023.
The Gaza Ministry of Health — which has separately tracked deaths during the conflict — said on Sunday that 46,913 people had been killed in the Hamas-run territory during the war with Israel.
The Civil Defense said Israeli forces prevented its crews from accessing large areas of the strip during the fighting, “where there are hundreds of bodies” that have not yet been recovered.
The Civil Defense called for the entry of foreign rescue workers “to support us in carrying out our duty to deal with the catastrophic reality left behind by the war, which exceeds the capacity of the civil defense apparatus in the Gaza Strip.”
The organization called on Gazans to assist rescuers “with all necessary capabilities, including rescue, firefighting, and ambulance vehicles and equipment, as well as heavy machinery and equipment that will help us retrieve the bodies of martyrs from under the rubble of thousands of destroyed buildings and homes.”
Freed hostage is ‘happiest girl in the world,’ mother says Mandy Damari, the mother of Emily Damari — who was among the three Israeli captives freed from Gaza on Sunday — released a statement thanking all those involved in her daughter’s release “from the bottom of my heart.”
“Yesterday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” Mandy said in a statement shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters.
“I am relieved to report that after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated,” she added.
“In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world; she has her life back,” Mandy said.
“In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain,” she added. “The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families.”
-ABC News’ Anna Burd
Red Cross details ‘complex’ hostage release operation
The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that Sunday’s operation to collect three freed Israeli hostages from Gaza “was complex, requiring rigorous security measures to minimize the risks to those involved.”
“Navigating large crowds and heightened emotions posed challenges during the transfers and in Gaza, ICRC teams had to manage the dangers posed by unexploded ordnances and destroyed infrastructure,” the ICRC said in a Monday statement.
“More families are waiting anxiously for their loved ones to come home,” ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said. “We call on all parties to continue to adhere to their commitments to ensure the next operations can take place safely.”
The ICRC also stressed that “urgently needed humanitarian assistance must enter Gaza, where civilians have struggled for months to access food, drinkable water and shelter.”
Released Palestinian prisoners arrive in the West Bank amid high tensions
Tensions were high as people waited in Beitunia, in the West Bank, for the arrival of the 90 Palestinian prisoners who were released from Israeli custody just after 1 a.m. local time.
Israeli forces used cars and tear gas to attempt to clear the roads, ABC News reporters on the scene said.
ABC News’ team saw flash bangs where people were gathered waiting for the prisoners’ release.
Israeli Police did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment on the matter.
The prisoners were released from Ofer Prison in Ramallah, West Bank, as a part of the hostage exchange and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
People were seen on top of the buses waving flags and chanting as the prisoners arrived in Beitunia at approximately 1:42 a.m.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman, as well as Tom Soufi Burridge and Hugo Leenhardt in the West Bank
Photos show 3 Israeli former hostages reunited with their mothers
Photos were released by Israeli officials on Sunday showing the three released hostages hugging their mothers as they were reunited.
The images showed former hostages Romi Gonen, 24; Emily Damari, 28; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, all sharing emotional embraces with their mothers.
