Israel-Gaza updates: 17 more hostages released, including 4-year-old American girl, officials say
Fourteen Israeli and three foreign hostages were released Sunday, the IDF said.
Thousands of people have died and thousands more have been injured since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.
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What we know about the conflict
The latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, has passed the four-month mark.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.
In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 395 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The ongoing war began after Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented incursion into southern Israel from neighboring Gaza via land, sea and air. Scores of people were killed while more than 200 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The Israeli military subsequently launched retaliatory airstrikes followed by a ground invasion of Gaza, a 140-square-mile territory where more than 2 million Palestinians have lived under a blockade imposed by Israel and supported by Egypt since Hamas came to power in 2007. Gaza, unlike Israel, has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters.
'Significant progress' in Saturday's hostage release, IDF says
Following a delay by Hamas, there has been "significant progress" in the efforts to release the hostages from the Gaza Strip Saturday night, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said.
"The effort to return the hostages is our moral and ethical duty. We are determined to fulfil this in any way," the spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, said at a press briefing Saturday evening. "The effort tonight is progressing and we will inform the families and the public when things happen. Patience is required."
"There is significant progress," he continued, though noted that "nothing is final until it actually happens."
Hagari said Israel will "go back to fighting" if the hostage agreement is not fulfilled.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller
Deal is back on: 13 Israeli detainees, 7 foreigners to be swapped for 39 Palestinians
After Hamas' armed wing announced that it will be delaying the scheduled release of hostages, it said it is going ahead following mediation by Qatar and Egypt. Hamas also released a list of the Palestinians set to be released -- six women and 33 teenagers.
"Hamas has responded to the Egyptian and Qatari efforts made throughout the day to ensure the continuation of the temporary truce agreement after they affirmed the occupation’s commitment to all terms set out in the agreement," the terrorist group said Saturday.
Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the swap will happen Saturday night.
"After a delay in implementing the release of prisoners from both sides, the obstacles were overcome through Qatari-Egyptian communications with both sides, and tonight 39 Palestinian civilians will be released in exchange for the release of 13 Israeli detainees from Gaza in addition to 7 foreigners outside the framework of the agreement," Majed Al Ansari, the Qatari MFA spokesperson, said in a statement on X on Saturday.
-ABC News' Matt Gutman and Ayat Al-Tawy
Biden administration says it is 'working' on implementation of deal after hostage release delay
In response to news that Hamas will delay the release of hostages, with the terrorist group accusing Israel of violating the cease-fire agreement, the Biden administration said it is working on the implementation of the deal.
"We are working with Qatar, Egypt, and Israel on implementation of the deal," a senior administration official told ABC News.
-ABC News' Selina Wang
Doctors Without Borders says 4-day cease-fire is not 'nearly enough'
Doctors Without Borders released a statement calling for an extension for a sustained ceasefire, saying that four days is not enough.
"After being under relentless bombing for more than six weeks, any respite for the people in Gaza is welcome, especially if it allows them to have access to medical supplies, food, and water," Doctors Without Borders said in a statement.
"Four days, however, is not nearly enough to organize a delivery of aid that can measure up to the immense needs. We remain deeply concerned at the prospect that after a short-lived relief, people will fall back into a sealed-off complete war zone," it added. "We continue to call for a sustained ceasefire as the only way to stop indiscriminate killings and civilian harm and allow the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid on a meaningful scale."
-ABC News' Zoe Magee
Doctor in Egypt says some of evacuated Gaza premature babies are in 'critical' condition
A doctor at Al-Arish Hospital in Egypt shared an update on the condition of the premature babies evacuated from Gaza earlier this week, saying about 10% of them are in "critical" condition.
"When the babies arrived at our hospital … they were facing a lot of bad conditions during transfer, taking their medical history, not accompanying families for them, so you are dealing with … very critical conditions for them," Dr. Ahmed Mahdy told ABC News Wednesday.
Sixteen premature babies were brought to Al-Arish Hospital in Egypt near the border after Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza ran out of fuel to run their incubators and came under attack by IDF forces. Dr. Mahdy said they all had low weight when they arrived at Al-Arish, ranging from 1-2.3 kilograms (2.2 lbs – 5 lbs).
Dr. Mahdy said some of the babies "are very critical," estimating about 10% of them are in that condition. The other infants are "less critical."
One of the struggles doctors at Al-Arish Hospital have run into is that there aren't families or mothers with most of the babies to ask about their history or the mother's history during her pregnancy. Out of 16 babies, only three mothers are accompanying four babies. Still, the doctors persevere to treat the infants.
"They may be at risk, but we are doing our best for them," Dr. Mahdy said. "We are giving them the medications they need, the feeding. You know, the babies need feeding, feeding assessment and feeding progress."