Gaza medic held since rescue worker killings released
Israel has released a Palestinian medic held prisoner since soldiers killed 15 of his colleagues in March and buried them in a mass grave.
He's one of 10 detainees who were released back to the Gaza Strip, with the prisoners saying they were ordered by Israel not to speak to the media.
Prisoner Mohammad al-Sharif, who was taken from Rafah, said it felt like he had been given a "new date of birth" because he can finally see his family again.
"While I was in captivity, I thought that I would not find any of my family members and relatives," he said.
The 10 Palestinians released by Israel arrived at Aqsa Hospital in a Red Cross vehicle on Tuesday local time, where they were examined by doctors. Some of them said they had been held for about five or six months.
It came as Israel marked its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks.
Fifty-nine hostages are still inside Gaza, of which about two dozen are believed to be alive. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry.
The Israeli military also said it intercepted a drone fired "from the east" but didn't specify where the drone might have come from, saying only that it was intercepted before entering the country's airspace and that no air raid sirens were activated.
Since Israel broke the ceasefire in Gaza in March, a handful of rockets have been fired from the Palestinian territory as well as long-range missiles from Yemen.
Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv for a joint Israel-Palestinian memorial ceremony, held annually since 2006.
Liat Atzili, who was held in captivity by Hamas for 54 days, addressed the ceremony and spoke about her husband, who was killed on October 7, 2023.
"In this situation, where I have no control over anything, I still have the opportunity to decide the type of person I want to be," she said. Atzili said she wanted to focus on the shared humanity, even with those holding her hostage.
Israel police said three protesters were arrested after a brawl outside a screening of the ceremony in Raanana, a town north of Tel Aviv.
According to Israeli media, dozens of right-wing protesters gathered outside a synagogue where a live screening of the ceremony was held and yelled at attendees. Four police officers were lightly injured.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog called on the nation to rise above political wrangling, especially during Memorial Day, at a candle-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem.
"At this pure national moment, I call: remove the IDF from political disputes," he said, referring to Israel's military.
Hours earlier, the Israeli cabinet voted to cancel a government decision to fire the head of the internal security service, part of a political dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the service.
Thousands of people attended a ceremony for fallen soldiers and victims of attacks at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites where Jews can pray.
UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said the world must act together to prevent the collapse of humanitarian aid operations in Gaza, which he said are plunging toward "a new unseen level".
Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2.
"Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, and so do all forms of collective punishment," Turk said in a statement Tuesday.
Israel says the blockade is a pressure tactic on Hamas to release the hostages.
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Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website.
