Israeli military recovers bodies of 3 captives from Gaza
As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, the Israeli military is also continuing its attacks on Gaza. The military, moments ago, said it recovered the bodies of three captives held by Hamas in the Palestinian territory.
It identified the deceased as Ofra Kider, Yonatan Samrano, and Sergeant Shay Levinson.
It said Kider, 71, and Samrano, 21, were killed during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, and that Levinson, 19, died in battle with Hamas fighters on the same day.
Israeli forces kill 51 Palestinians in Gaza
As Israel’s conflict with Iran rages, the Israeli military also continues deadly attacks on Gaza. The Health Ministry said it registered the killing of at least 51 people in the past 24-hour reporting period, with another 104 wounded.
The latest figures bring the number of people killed in Israeli attacks since the start of Israel’s war in October 2023 to at least 55,959, with 131,242 others wounded.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said attacks have been concentrated in southern Khan Younis, central Gaza, and northern Gaza City.
“The majority of people feel that Israel’s military has taken advantage of the distraction created by the rising escalation with Iran to continue carrying out more deadly attacks [in Gaza],” he said.
Pope Leo tells world not to forget suffering in Gaza
The head of the Roman Catholic Church has urged people to stay mindful of the suffering in Gaza, where daily Israeli attacks continue to kill and wound hundreds, even as Israel’s conflict with Iran escalates following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“In this dramatic scenario, which includes Israel and Palestine, the daily suffering of the population, especially in Gaza and other territories, risks being forgotten, where the need for adequate humanitarian support is becoming increasingly urgent,” Pope Leo said in a weekly prayer with pilgrims.
The pontiff, the first-ever from the US, also warned against a broader “irreparable” war.
“Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts,” Leo said. “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”
