U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that progress was being made in efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, noting that he was engaging with both Israel and Hamas. However, he did not provide further details about the negotiations.
Pressure is mounting on the Israeli government to reach a deal.
Nearly 1,000 current and former members of the Israeli Air Force have signed a letter condemning the renewed military campaign in Gaza, sparking a backlash from the government and military leadership.
The signatories accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of continuing the war to serve "political and personal interests," rather than Israel's security.
They urged leaders to prioritize a deal to free all hostages held in Gaza, even if it means ending the war against Hamas. Continued fighting, they warned, could cost the lives of hostages, Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians.
Ten Palestinians detained from Gaza by Israeli troops were freed and returned to the territory on Thursday, saying they had suffered constant abuse while imprisoned.
Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians since it launched its military campaign in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. It has done periodic releases of detainees throughout the war, though this was the first since it restarted the war in mid-March, breaking a ceasefire with the militant Hamas group.
The 10 men, all dressed in grey sweatpants and shirts, were brought by bus to a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, where they were welcomed by family members.
They had all been detained from the northern Gaza Strip during Israel's last offensive there before the January cease-fire. They said they had been held at least part of the time in Sde Teiman, a military prison camp that has become notorious for abuses of Gaza detainees.
