GAZA - About three dozen Palestinian prisoners released by Israel arrived in the West Bank on Sunday, following Hamas' release of 17 hostages in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal.

Late on Saturday, Israel received the second batch of hostages released from the Gaza Strip, including 13 Israelis and four Thais, who had crossed into Egypt and were en route to Israel, confirmed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in a post on its X account.

"After undergoing an initial medical assessment, they will continue to be accompanied by IDF soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families," said the IDF.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday that the Thais in the latest release were in good health.

"Everybody is safe, on the whole in good mental health and are able to speak normally," said the prime minister via social media X.

As part of the ongoing prisoner-hostage swap agreement with Hamas, Israel released 39 Palestinians -- six women and 33 minors -- from two prisons, reported the Palestinian news agency WAFA on Sunday.

The swap was scheduled for around 4 pm local time (1400 GMT) on Saturday. It was delayed for several hours after Hamas accused Israel of failing to meet the terms of a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement, which was agreed upon by the two sides on Wednesday after more than six weeks of bloody conflicts.

A Palestinian source told Xinhua that Hamas was expecting the delivery of "large quantities" of humanitarian aid to Gaza City and the rest of the northern part of the Gaza Strip, rather than providing supplies to the southern part of the enclave only.

Hamas also demands that the Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel should include those from the Gaza Strip, said the source.

Taher al-Nono, an advisor to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said Israel had breached the agreement, particularly with regard to the entry of humanitarian aid trucks.

An Israeli official threatened that if the second group of Israeli hostages is not released by Hamas before midnight, the Israeli army will "restart ground operations" in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media outlets have reported, without providing further details.

The "obstacles" were later solved through "Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides," Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari announced on Saturday night.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced early Sunday that it had received a new list of hostages slated to be released later in the day in the third of four scheduled swaps.

Under the mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel on Wednesday agreed to a four-day humanitarian cease-fire to force a temporary halt to the fighting between the two sides. After the truce deal went into effect Friday, Hamas released 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thai, and one Filipino, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. The release of non-Israeli nationals was not part of the truce deal.

GAZA/DOHA -- The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said late Saturday that the second exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners will go ahead after being delayed for several hours.

Hamas said in a statement that it decided to ensure the continuation of the temporary truce agreement after Egyptians and Qataris assured the movement that Israel would abide by all terms stipulated in the agreement.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "obstacles to the release of prisoners were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian contacts with both sides, and 39 Palestinians will be released tonight, while 13 Israeli hostages will leave Gaza in addition to seven foreigners," it said.

The second exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners was scheduled to take place around 4 pm local time (1400 GMT) Saturday but was delayed for several hours.

Hamas said earlier in the day that it had decided to delay the second release as Israel failed to comply with the terms regarding the entry of relief trucks into the northern regions of the Gaza Strip and the agreed-upon criteria for releasing prisoners.

Under the mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel on Wednesday agreed to a four-day humanitarian cease-fire to force a temporary halt to the fighting between the two sides. After the truce deal went into effect Friday, Hamas released 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thai, and one Filipino, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. The release of non-Israeli nationals was separate to the truce deal.

GAZA -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), announced Saturday in a statement that it had decided to delay the release of the second batch of Israeli hostages, blaming Israel for failing to meet the terms in a four-day humanitarian cease-fire agreement.

The delay was due to Israel's failure to comply with the terms in the agreement regarding the entry of relief trucks into the northern regions of the Gaza Strip and the agreed-upon criteria for releasing prisoners, according to the statement.

The second exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners was scheduled to take place around 4 pm local time (1400 GMT) Saturday but was delayed for several hours.

A Palestinian source told Xinhua that Hamas was expecting the delivery of "large quantities" of humanitarian aid to Gaza City and the rest of the northern part of the Gaza Strip, rather than providing supplies to the southern part of the enclave only.

Hamas also demands that the Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel should include those from the Gaza Strip, said the source.

Taher al-Nono, an advisor to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, said Israel had breached the agreement, particularly with regard to the entry of humanitarian aid trucks.

An Israeli official threatened that if the second group of Israeli hostages is not released by Hamas before midnight, the Israeli army will "restart ground operations" in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media outlets have reported, without providing further details.

Under the mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel on Wednesday agreed to a four-day humanitarian cease-fire to force a temporary halt to the fighting between the two sides. After the truce deal went into effect Friday, Hamas released 24 hostages, including 13 Israelis, 10 Thai, and one Filipino, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. The release of non-Israeli nationals was not part of the truce deal.

CAIRO/GAZA - The first temporary humanitarian truce between Hamas and Israel entered into force at 7:00 am local time (0500 GMT) on Friday in the Gaza Strip.

Confirming the truce agreement had taken effect, Diaa Rashwan, chairman of Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), said in a statement that 130,000 liters of diesel and four trucks of gas from Egypt will enter the Gaza Strip daily.

Some 200 trucks, loaded with food, medicine and water, can enter daily for the first time since the start of the war on Oct 7, he said.

"Some seven fuel trucks have entered the Gaza Strip so far," an anonymous security official source at Rafah crossing told Xinhua, adding that 230 trucks carrying aid and fuel will enter today.

There are about 600 Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, said the source, and some 17 ambulances are waiting to transfer the wounded.

Egypt will continue to receive wounded and injured children from Gaza for treatment in Egyptian hospitals, helping foreigners and dual nationals detained in the Gaza Strip travel to their own countries, the SIS's chairman said.

Rashwan added that the Egyptian side will also allow the entry of Palestinians stranded in the country into the Gaza Strip at their will.

The truce is scheduled to be followed by the release of 13 Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip at 4:00 pm local time (1400 GMT).

Hamas and Israel reached an agreement earlier this week on a four-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Under the deal, Hamas would release at least 50 hostages from Gaza in exchange for some 150 Palestinian detainees held in Israel.

Israeli troops have been conducting airstrikes and a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, in retaliation for a surprise attack staged by Hamas.

Israel said the Hamas assault killed about 1,200 people while more than 200 hostages were taken to Gaza. At the same time, the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli strikes in Gaza has reached 14,532 so far, according to the Hamas-run media office in Gaza.

GAZA/JERUSALEM - After more than six weeks of bloody conflict, Israel and Hamas are poised to implement the first truce as part of a swap deal, under which Hamas will free some hostages in exchange for some Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Under the deal reached on Wednesday under the mediation by Qatar, Egypt and the US, a four-day humanitarian ceasefire will start at 07:00 am local time (0500 GMT) on Friday.

Hamas, formally known as the Islamic Resistance Movement, said in a press statement that it would release about 13 hostages at 04:00 pm on Friday as the first stage of the deal.

Hamas, which has been ruling Gaza since 2007, will hand over the hostages to Egypt. In turn, Israel will release 150 Palestinians, including women and children, from the Israeli jails.

Israel is expected to stop all its military operations in the Gaza Strip as part of the four-day ceasefire. Meanwhile, at least 200 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, including four fuel trucks, will be allowed into the Gaza Strip, Hamas explained.

The ceasefire will also facilitate the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow the return of stranded Palestinians waiting in the Arish area, according to the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed receiving an "initial list of names" of detainees set for release tomorrow.

The Israeli army said it was ready to implement the ceasefire, but warned Hamas that "even the slightest violation would result in a severe response."

The ceasefire was originally due to start on Thursday but was delayed as the two sides were finalizing the details of hostage release. Meanwhile, Israel continued its airstrikes on various areas of Gaza, resulting in more casualties and injuries.

Palestinian medical sources reported that 10 people were killed in Israeli shelling on a residential building in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City.

The Hamas-run health ministry said that six people, including three children, were killed on Thursday in Israeli strikes targeting two houses in the Shouat area in Rafah, southern Gaza.

In the meantime, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing, and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement, separately launched mortar shells at Israeli military positions inside and on the outskirts of Gaza.

The upcoming Israel-Hamas ceasefire will mark the first cessation of hostilities between both sides since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct 7, during which 1,200 people were killed and over 200 hostages were taken to Gaza by Hamas militants. Israel retaliated by launching relentless airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza, which have killed over 14,000 Palestinians so far.

DOHA -- The Qatari Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip would officially take place at 7 am local time (0500 GMT) on Friday.

China's top envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called on international communities to increase efforts in advancing the political prospects of the two-state solution of the Palestinian question.

Any solution to the current situation must not deviate from the two-state solution and should be conducive to regional peace and stability, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

"Any arrangement on the future and destiny of Palestine must seek the consent of the Palestinian people and address the legitimate concerns of the countries of the region," Zhang emphasized.

"The United Nations should continue to play an active role in building international consensus and promoting the peace process. The Security Council should be ready to take responsible and meaningful action on the situation in Palestine and Israel to ensure that it stands the test of history and conscience," Zhang said.

The UNSC Resolution 2712, adopted in mid-November, called for humanitarian pauses and corridors in Gaza to allow relief supplies, Zhang went on to say that it, "represents an important initial step toward a ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation".

The resolution must be fully and immediately implemented in order to achieve a durable ceasefire and avoid further humanitarian catastrophe, Zhang said, calling Israel to cease its military operations against civilian facilities, such as hospitals and schools, and curb the growing settler violence in the West Bank.

"We support further diplomatic efforts to facilitate the early release of more detainees, in the hope that this will open up political space for dialogue and consultation and the resumption of peace," he said.

Zhang said China strongly condemns the clear violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza and opposes any collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, forced displacement and forced transfer.

"We urge Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza as soon as possible and to fully restore the supply of basic goods such as water, electricity and fuel. We call for the urgent opening of more relief corridors to Gaza and for the full utilization of border crossings…to ensure the unimpeded and efficient entry of sufficient humanitarian supplies into Gaza from all directions," said Zhang, adding that China supports further action by the Security Council on this issue on the basis of Resolution 2712.

China has been making unremitting efforts to restore peace, said Zhang.

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, which was also the first summit since the expansion of BRICS, calling for justice and peace.

On the meeting, leaders jointly called on the international community to support a just solution to the Palestinian issue and to promote the realization of the two-state solution, said Zhang.

In addition, a delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers came to Beijing on Monday to coordinate with China to promote the current Palestinian conflict of cooling down, protecting civilians, and impartially solving the Palestinian issue.

On Monday, WHO told reporters that 21 out of 24 hospitals in Wadi Gaza, located north of the besieged Gaza Strip, are now "completely non-functional". This situation has arisen due to escalated conflict, with ambulances coming under fire, hospitals overwhelmed with a surge of critical patients and a growing number of casualties, Time Magazine reported.

At least 14,500 Palestinians have been killed, including around 6,000 children and 4,000 women, since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Oct 7, according to the Hamas-run government media office.

Brief truce between Israel, Hamas seen as opportunity for peace talks

Israel and Hamas have reached a Qatar-mediated agreement to cease fire in the Gaza Strip for four days, which offers an opportunity for peace talks being widely pushed by the global community, analysts said.

The temporary truce, which will be accompanied by the release of some hostages held by the militant group in return for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, marks the biggest diplomatic breakthrough since the Oct 7 Hamas attack on Israel reignited the Palestine-Israel conflict.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will free 150 Palestinian women and teens and allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza in return for 50 hostages, mostly women and children.

China has welcomed the pause in fighting and said it hopes this will help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, de-escalate the conflict and ease tensions in the region.

Since this round of conflict started, China has been calling for a cease-fire, and working relentlessly to de-escalate the situation, protect civilians and provide humanitarian assistance, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.

Hamas gunmen captured around 240 people when they rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Oct 7. Four hostages have been released so far, while at least 14,400 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in the nearly seven-week-long conflict.

According to the deal brokered by Qatar, 50 hostages will be released in small groups over four days, during which there will be a full pause in the fighting. The release of every 10 hostages thereafter will result in one additional day of truce.

Umer Karim, an associate fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, told China Daily that the hostage issue "is becoming a real political burden "for Netanyahu.

"It (the cease-fire deal) shows that his military campaign in Gaza still hasn't given him the political leverage he needs right now domestically and, therefore, he needs some development on the hostage issue," Karim said.

Netanyahu has agreed on a temporary truce to also "slow down the general momentum against Israel right now in the form of protests and demonstrations", which is "putting some pressure on Western governments to change their stance on the matter", Karim added.

Yu Guoqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of West Asia and African Studies, said the Israeli government agreed to the brief cease-fire largely because it is under pressure at home and abroad.

The Netanyahu government is under immense domestic pressure due to Israeli casualties in the conflict and the fact that hostages held by Hamas have not been released even a month and a half later, Yu said.

Israel had received a wave of sympathy after it was attacked by Hamas, but its image in the international community changed somewhat following the continuous disclosure of the large number of civilian casualties caused by its military operation in Gaza, especially its attacks on hospitals and schools.

"The international community has already tried to restrain Israel's military action through the multilateral framework of the United Nations. Global calls for a cease-fire actually played an important role in this brief ceasefire agreement," Yu said.

China has also played an important role as it actively advocated for a cessation of hostilities and a cease-fire in Gaza, and consistently worked toward realizing lasting peace and sustainable security in the Middle East, the researcher said.

However, the Israeli government still believes its aim of completely defeating Hamas has not been achieved yet, and the brief cease-fire could be an opportunity to replenish its supply of troops and weapons and to see if Hamas is abiding by the agreement, Yu added.

Ayman Yousef, a professor of international relations at the Arab American University in Jenin in the West Bank, said the global community should put some pressure on the United States to exert influence on Israel to end the conflict, which "is the logic at this stage" and "a matter of directly influencing events in the region".

Haydar Oruc, a Middle East analyst and former researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies in Turkiye, said the cease-fire decision, which came after 46 days of violence, could create a basis for a lasting truce in the region.

"If the US provides sincere support and puts pressure on the Netanyahu government, it will be possible to end the Israeli strikes on Gaza," he said.

Wang Qingyun in Beijing and Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com

Ceasefire in Gaza starts at 10:00 am local time Thursday: Hamas official

GAZA - The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 14,000 since the current Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct 7, the Hamas-run government media office said Tuesday.

Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the media office, said at a press conference that among the dead were 5,840 children and 3,920 women, while more than 33,000 others were injured.

Al-Thawabta said the number of missing persons has surpassed 6,800, including 4,500 children and women under the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli attacks.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks to retaliate against the Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, during which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages.

JERUSALEM/GAZA/DOHA - Israel and Hamas on Wednesday confirmed their agreement on a Qatar-mediated proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.

In exchange for Hamas to release hostages, the Israeli side agreed to release Palestinian prisoners and allow more humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave, said the Israeli government in a statement.

Under the deal, at least 50 hostages, mainly children and women, would be freed for the release of about 150 female and teen Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, said the statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.

The hostages will be released in smaller groups over a span of four days, during which "there will be a full ceasefire in the fighting", it said.

Israel is pressing for freeing more children. The ceasefire would be extended for an extra day for every additional 10 hostages released by Hamas, it said.

Hamas confirmed the four-day ceasefire agreement with Israel on Wednesday under a Qatari-Egyptian mediation after 46 days of bloody conflict in the besieged coastal enclave.

"After complex negotiations, we have reached a humanitarian ceasefire with Israel. It will include the stop of all military operations in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli army will stop all movement of its military vehicles in all the territories in Gaza," Hamas said in a press statement.

In addition to exchanging hostages, hundreds of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, medicine, and fuel will be allowed to enter all areas of Gaza, it said.

During the ceasefire, Israeli drones will stop operation for four days in southern Gaza, and stop working in the north for six hours a day starting from 10:00 am (0400 GMT) until 16:00 pm (1000 GMT), it added.

Moreover, the Israeli army will allow the residents to move freely from northern Gaza to the southern territories, Hamas said.

Later in the day, the Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed the ceasefire agreement, which was jointly mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, adding that the starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours.

Qatar reaffirmed its commitment to de-escalating tensions, preventing bloodshed, and protecting civilians through diplomatic efforts.

Since the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict erupted on Oct 7, Qatar has been making efforts to mediate between the warring parties, secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, and de-escalate the situation in Gaza.

JERUSALEM - Israel accepted a Qatar-mediated proposal on Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners and the entry of more humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave in exchange for Hamas to release hostages, Israel's state-owned Kan TV reported.

GAZA -- A Hamas official said Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement with Israel will be announced in the coming hours in Qatar.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, told Xinhua, "We are close to reaching an agreement in the coming hours, and the movement has delivered its response to the mediators."

Another Hamas source said, "The agreement will be announced in Qatar, and it may be soon, and its success is linked to the commitment of the Israeli side."

The ceasefire deal, said the sources, will last for five days and includes the release of 50 civilians and foreign nationals held by Hamas in exchange for the release of 300 Palestinian detainees, including children and women, held by Israel.

The deal also includes the entry of 300 trucks of food, medical and fuel aid into the Gaza Strip.

The sources indicated that the release of prisoners will take place in stages, at a rate of 10 Israeli prisoners per day compared with that of 30 Palestinian prisoners.

GAZA -- Gaza's government media office announced on Sunday that the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has exceeded 13,000 since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct 7.

Ismail al-Thawabta, the director general of the media office, said at a press conference that among the dead were 5,500 children and 3,500 women, while more than 30,000 others were variously injured.

Al-Thawabta said the number of missing persons has surpassed 6,000, including 4,000 children and women still under the rubble of buildings destroyed by Israeli attacks.

Israel has been carrying out attacks on Gaza over the past weeks to retaliate against the Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, during which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostages.

GAZA -- The Israeli army has demanded the evacuation of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City within one hour, Palestine TV reported on Saturday morning.

Sources in the hospital told Xinhua there is now a severe state of panic and fear in the hospital.

"We will not leave the hospital unless we do so with the patients," the sources cited medical personnel in the hospital.

The Israeli army on Saturday asked the Palestinian medical staff, displaced people and patients to evacuate Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, according to medical sources.

The sources said the hospital administration decided not to leave the premises until all patients are safely evacuated.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Palestinian health ministry, said in a statement Saturday that the humanitarian situation in the Al-Shifa complex for eight days has been "catastrophic," and there is not even a piece of bread or any food or water supply.

Since Friday, "at least 51 of the Palestinian patients in Al-Shifa Complex, including four premature babies, have died," Al-Qedra added.

Currently, about 1,500 medical staff, hundreds of patients and 7,000 displaced people are facing death in the Al-Shifa complex after Israeli vehicles destroyed the infrastructure, water wells and the oxygen network. Staff are unable to bury the dead, and waste is piling up in the complex, he said.

Al-Qedra said that between 7,000 and 10,000 people are inside the complex.

He called for creating a safe passage to bring in medical supplies, food and fuel, noting that if the situation continues as it is, the death toll could double.

GAZA -- About 26 Palestinians, mostly children, were killed in an Israeli bombardment of Khan Younis city in south Gaza early on Saturday, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The report, citing local sources, said that the Israeli aircraft launched several raids on apartments in Khan Younis, which led to the deaths of 26 citizens, most of them children, and dozens of injuries.

The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the report.

GAZA -- Paltel warned Wednesday noon that the Gaza Strip could lose all communications and internet services in a few hours as fuel is running out in the besieged enclave.

Paltel, short for the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Gaza's largest telecoms provider, said in a statement that facilities powering its network are running on backup energy, meaning services could come to a halt anytime in the upcoming hours.

Palestinian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ishaq Sadr said that all the network services would be terminated by Thursday if the fuel supply was not resumed.

Israel has launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza after Hamas, a Palestinian faction that de facto governs the enclave, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct 7 and killed some 1,200 Israelis.

Furthermore, Israel has imposed a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, including cutting off electricity, water, and fuel supplies, causing a widespread humanitarian crisis.

GAZA - Dozens of the Israeli army forces on Wednesday carried out a raid at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City amid heavy gunfire, according to a senior medical official.

In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Monir al-Bursh, director-general of the pharmaceutical department at the Gaza Health Ministry, said that "the Israeli army officially informed the hospital in a phone call that the raid was being carried out, demanding that people not approach windows, balconies or doors".

For its part, the Israeli army said that it was carrying out a precise operation against Hamas in a specific area inside Al-Shifa Hospital based on intelligence information and an operational need.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesman of the health ministry, said, "There is nothing that would require shooting inside the hospital because there is no form of resistance there, and what the occupation is doing constitutes terrorism for those in the complex."

About 1,500 staff members and 7,000 displaced people are currently stuck in the hospital, depending on capacity, according to al-Qedra.

Israeli tanks surrounded several hospitals in Gaza City over the past few days, claiming that they contain tunnels that constitute a base used by Hamas to shelter its leadership in addition to leading military operations against the Israeli army.

Both Hamas and the health ministry in Gaza denied Israel's accusations, considering them "an attempt to mislead and incite in preparation for the destruction of hospitals and the killing of patients".

RAMALLAH -- At least seven Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in clashes with Israeli soldiers in northern West Bank, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

The clashes occurred when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was conducting a massive manhunt for Palestinian suspects in the Tulkarm refugee camp, local eyewitnesses told Xinhua.

The IDF said in a statement that its troops clashed with "local terror operatives" and responded with a drone attack at armed Palestinians who were hurling explosives at them.

At least 196 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank since a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on Oct 7, according to WAFA, the official Palestinian news agency.

GAZA - Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said on Monday that it has informed mediators of its readiness to release 50 women and children hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a 5-day cease-fire.

Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a message on its Telegram channel that "Qatari mediators have made efforts to release Israeli detainees in exchange for releasing 200 Palestinian children and 75 women."

He stressed that the cease-fire should ensure a halt to hostilities and allow aid entry to people in the enclave.

He emphasized that the continued Israeli ground, naval, and aerial aggression threatens the lives of the detainees held by them and by other armed Palestinian factions in Gaza.

The Israeli military operations came in retaliation for the Hamas-led attacks on Oct 7, in which about 1,200 people were killed in Israel and about 240 hostages were taken, according to Israeli figures.