Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu addresses Congress, vows to achieve total victory

Netanyahu has signaled that a cease-fire deal could be taking shape after nine months of war, but during his fiery speech to Congress, he vowed to press forward with Israel’s war until he achieves “total victory.” Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered near the U.S. Capitol to denounce the war.

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military’s latest order to leave parts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis say they are sleeping in the streets. The Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 39,100 Palestinians have been killed in the war.

Officials from Egypt, Israel, the United States and Qatar had been expected to meet in Doha on Thursday with the aim of resuming talks for a proposed three-phase cease-fire to end the war between Israel and Hamas and free the remaining hostages . But an Israeli official said Israel's negotiating team was delayed and would likely be dispatched next week.

Israel recovers the bodies of 5 hostages in Gaza JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Thursday it has recovered the bodies of five Israeli hostages, in the area of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, who were abducted by Hamas militants on Oct. 7.

It identified the hostages as Maya Goren, and three soldiers it says fell in battle: Sgt. Oren Goldin, Staff Sgt. Tomer Ahimas, Sgt. Maj. Ravid Aryeh Katz and Sgt. Kiril Brodski. It says all five were believed to have been killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas raid that triggered the war.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit communities during Hamas’ assault, said earlier in the day that it was informed that the body of Goren, 56, was returned to Israel after a rescue mission, without providing additional details. Israeli authorities had said in late 2023 that she was dead.

Israel has now pronounced dead more than a third of the roughly 110 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.

Australia sanctions 7 Israelis and a West Bank-based youth group over settler violence SYDNEY — Australia is imposing financial sanctions and travel bans against seven Israeli citizens and financial sanctions against a West Bank-based youth group over their alleged involvement in settler violence in the occupied territory.

The sanctions announced Thursday are against Hilltop Youth and its leader Meir Ettinger, 32. Other targeted individuals are Yinon Levi, 31, Zvi Bar Yosef, 31, Neria Ben Pazi, 30, Elisha Yered, 23, David Chai Chasdai, 29, and Einan Tanjil, 22.

Australia accuses them of violent attacks on Palestinians. These include beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injuries and deaths, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government imposed the sanctions “because it’s the right thing to do.” He added that settlements in the West Bank impeded a two-state solution and were illegal under international law.

The sanctions follow a U.S. decision to sanction entities and individuals connected to acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank.

Wong said Australia called on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and it cease ongoing settlement activity.

Families of 8 American hostages ‘profoundly disappointed’ by Netanyahu's speech WASHINGTON — The families of the eight American hostages being held in Gaza say they’re “profoundly disappointed” that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not guarantee in his speech to Congress that the hostages would be coming home.

In a joint statement, the families said that Netanyahu on Wednesday “failed to present any new solutions or a new path forward” and “failed to commit to the hostage deal that is now on the table even though Israel’s senior defense and intelligence officials have called on him to do so.”

They called on him to get the deal done “before it is too late.”

Eight Americans are believed to be held by Hamas, including three who were killed.

United Nations envoy for Lebanon hopes a cease-fire in Gaza will end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah UNITED NATIONS — The top U.N. envoy for Lebanon told the Security Council in Wednesday that “both Lebanon and Israel state that they do not seek war,” despite thousands of strikes from both sides of the border since Oct. 8, the U.N. said.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert “expressed hope that a cease-fire in Gaza would lead to an immediate return to the cessation of hostilities” between the Israel military and Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, relaying a few of her comments from her closed-door briefing to the council.

France’s U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere told reporters before the meeting that a “full-fledged war” would be “unbearable and catastrophic,” and he urged Israel and Lebanon to implement a 2006 Security Council resolution calling for the cessation of hostilities along the border.

Dujarric said Hennis-Plasschaert also discussed the ongoing leadership crisis in Lebanon, which has failed to elect a president since Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, completed his term in 2022.

Malta’s U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier told reporters after the meeting that Hennis-Plasschaert indicated an “appetite” among Lebanese leaders to resolve the presidential crisis.

Hennis-Plasschaert briefed the Security Council on the ongoing violence a day after the release of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ report on the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

According to the report, the U.N. humanitarian office in June recorded at least 95 civilian deaths and 95,228 displaced people in Lebanon since Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Palestinians killed while sheltering inside 2 schools in Gaza, United Nations says UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says two schools in southern Khan Younis were hit during military action, killing and injuring Palestinians sheltering inside.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Wednesday that the U.N. World Health Organization and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were able to evacuate six wounded people to the International Medical Corp field hospital along with the bodies of two people killed in the shelters.

Dujarric said U.N. humanitarian staff report that intense hostilities and large-scale displacement is continuing in Khan Younis following Israel’s evacuation order. Most people are moving into a smaller, already overcrowded area labeled by the Israelis as a “humanitarian zone,” he said.

“We and our humanitarian colleagues have been in touch by phone with hundreds of people who are trapped in combat zones of Khan Younis, within the area labeled for evacuation,” Dujarric said.

“This includes more than 300 people sheltering in schools,” he said, pointing out that they include people with reduced mobility and family members staying to help them.

In northern Gaza, fuel and medical supplies were delivered to al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City earlier this week, which had been closed because of insecurity in the area, Dujarric said. It has now partially resumed health services.

Dujarric said Palestinians continue to cross from northern Gaza to the south, where U.N. partner organizations are registering them and providing them with food, water and other supplies.

As for the impact of the nine-month war, the spokesman said the U.N. and its humanitarian partners are continuing to screen children, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding for malnutrition and to treat them.

“Since mid-January, nearly 170,000 children under the age of 5 and more than 10,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding women have been screened,” Dujarric said. “Over 11,500 of those children have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition and are receiving treatment.”

Protesters in Washington climb flagpoles to replace American flags with Palestinian ones WASHINGTON — Protesters climbed the flagpoles outside Washington’s Union Station on Wednesday afternoon and replaced the American flags with Palestinian flags.

Dozens of officers wearing helmets and carrying riot shields walked in a line down a street outside Union Station, which is one of the nation’s busiest railroad terminals. Protesters cheered as a fire burned what appeared to be a paper-mache likeness of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

An Associated Press reporter saw at least four people taken into custody by police during the confrontation outside Union Station.

Thousands of demonstrators had gathered in Washington to protest Israel's war in Gaza as Netanyahu spoke in front of Congress earlier Wednesday afternoon.

Netanyahu vows to press forward with war until ‘total victory’ WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin said he is ready to press forward with Israel’s war against Hamas until he achieves “total victory.”

Netanyahu told Congress on Wednesday that he would agree to a cease-fire if Hamas surrenders, disarms and releases all hostages it is holding.

But he said Israel would continue to fight indefinitely until it destroys the group’s military capabilities and brings home all hostages.

“Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home," he said. "That’s what total victory means. And we will settle for nothing less.”

Critics have said Netanyahu’s vow of total victory is unrealistic, as Hamas has repeatedly regrouped in areas that the Israeli military has withdrawn from. U.S.-led cease-fire talks have dragged on for months without a breakthrough.

Netanyahu praises Biden in fiery speech to Congress WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded U.S.-Israeli unity and praised President Joe Biden in a fiery speech to Congress.

The address sparked boycotts by some top Democrats and drew thousands of protesters to the Capitol to condemn the war in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis it has created.

Nine months into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu sought to bolster U.S. support for his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.

“America and Israel must stand together. When we stand together something really simple happens: we win, they lose.” said Netanyahu. He lambasted American protesters of the war as “useful idiots” of Iran.

Freed former hostages of Hamas and families of hostages listened in the House chamber as Netanyahu spoke. Lawmakers of both parties rose repeatedly to applaud the Israeli leader, while security escorted out protesters in the gallery who rose to display T-shirts with slogans demanding that leaders close a deal for a cease-fire and the release of all hostages.

Police deploy pepper spray at protesters who have gathered in Washington WASHINGTON — Police deployed pepper spray Wednesday as a large crowd protesting Israel’s war in Gaza marched toward the U.S. Capitol, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s was speaking to Congress.

Thousands of protesters descended on Washington, chanting “Free, Free Palestine” as some tried to block streets ahead of Netanyahu’s speech. Police wearing gas marks blocked the crowd, which was calling for an end to the war that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians, from getting closer to the Capitol.

U.S. Capitol Police said in a post on X that some members of the crowd had become “violent” and had “failed to obey” orders to move back from the police line.

“We are deploying pepper spray toward anyone trying to break the law and cross that line,” Capitol Police said.

Netanyahu receives standing ovation from both parties in Congress WASHINGTON — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked into the U.S. House chamber Wednesday afternoon and received a standing ovation from both parties, with only a few Democrats seated while everyone else cheered for him. One of those Democrats was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress.

Republicans enthusiastically cheered Netanyahu, while the Democratic side of the chamber was notably less enthusiastic. Most Democratic members stood and applauded, but were less willing to give the prime minister an enthusiastic greeting.

Scattered throughout the gallery that overlooks the House chamber, at least six people wore T-shirts saying “Seal the deal now,” urging Netanyahu to reach a deal to return hostages.

Palestinian Health Ministry releases an updated list of Palestinians killed CAIRO — The Palestinian Health Ministry has released an updated comprehensive list of Palestinians killed in Israel’s nine-month military offensive.

While the ministry releases a daily update to the overall death toll, this is just the fifth time it has released a detailed list identifying the dead by name, age and gender.

The document, dated June 30, reported a total of 37,900 dead. That includes 28,185 names, and 9,715 others who remained unidentified.

The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. It said 14,671 people, or 52% of the identified dead, were women or children. That percentage, which has dropped over the course of the war, is widely seen as an indicator of civilian deaths.

The large numbers of unidentified deaths have drawn accusations from Israel that the Hamas-linked Health Ministry has inflated the death toll. Israel says its forces have killed roughly 15,000 militants, without providing evidence to back the claim.

Palestinian health officials say it takes time to identify the dead because the health system has been overwhelmed by the war and some bodies are badly disfigured or not immediately claimed by their families. They say the true death toll is likely much higher because thousands of bodies are believed to be trapped in the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes.

Protesters taken into custody near the United States Capitol ahead of Netanyahu's speech WASHINGTON — Police have taken people into custody near the U.S. Capitol at a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the war in Gaza. A handful of people were led away by officers from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., while others chanted for them to be released.

More than 1,000 people gathered Wednesday morning on Pennsylvania Avenue within sight of the Capitol building. Protesters carried signs branding Netanyahu a war criminal.

A large group of protesters marched toward the Capitol after blocking a nearby intersection and calling for a “student intifada,” invoking an Arabic word for “uprising” or “resistance.”

“Shut it down!” they repeatedly chanted.

“Bibi, Bibi, We’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” they also shouted, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.

Across the street from Union Station, Jewish Americans gathered for a prayer service led by T’ruah, an organization of rabbis calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Rabbi Bill Plevan, of New York, said he believed prayer could be a catalyst for peace.

“We’re here to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in Congress,” he said. “We’re here to say we don’t stand by his policies. As American Jews, we don’t support this war.”

Mourners attend the funeral of 2 killed in Israeli raid in the West Bank TULKAREM, West Bank — Hundreds of mourners have attended the funeral of two people killed during an Israeli raid in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem that killed six people, at least three of them known militants. The bodies of Iman Juma’a, a 50-year-old woman, and Yazan Abdo, a 30-year-old man, were carried through the streets.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military released footage of a person dressed as a woman wearing a paramedic vest and holding a gun, but did not show the person’s face. The video could not be independently verified by the AP, and the military did not provide any further evidence.

At the funeral, the body of Juma’a was covered with a paramedic jacket.

Tulkarem and its two refugee camps have become a flashpoint in the West Bank and are regularly raided by Israeli forces. Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are active in the city.

Netanyahu's office rejects far-right minister's comment on prayers at the Temple Mount JERUSALEM — Israel’s far-right national security minister says Jews are allowed to pray at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, threatening to stoke tensions that are already soaring over the war in Gaza.

Itamar Ben-Gvir has said before it's his policy that Jews should be able to pray at the hilltop compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. But his statement on Wednesday comes at a politically sensitive time, hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress in Washington.

Netanyahu’s office quickly released a statement saying nothing had changed in the decades-old arrangement that prohibits Jewish prayer at the site.

“I am the political echelon and the political echelon permits Jewish prayer there,” Ben Gvir said during a conference focused on Jewish access to the compound.

Since Israel captured the site in the 1967 Mideast war, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. Perceived encroachments have set off widespread violence on a number of occasions going back decades.

Musk says Starlink is active at a Gaza hospital, with Israel's OK JERUSALEM — Billionaire Elon Musk in a statement on X says his satellite internet service Starlink is active for a hospital in Gaza, as the besieged territory has faced months of communication issues.

Israel’s Communication Ministry said the service has been in use at the Emirati-run field hospital in Rafah in southern Gaza for the past six months, and they were unclear why Musk mentioned it Wednesday.

During a visit to Israel in November , Musk met with Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomi Karhi and agreed that Starlink would operate in Gaza only with approval from the Israeli government. In February, the ministry announced that Starlink would be available at certain hospitals in Gaza for videoconferencing.

Gaza has experienced frequent communications blackouts as the infrastructure crumbles with months of fighting and a lack of fuel.

Dozens die in Gaza, raising the death toll over 39,100 DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Gaza Health Ministry says the bodies of 55 people killed by Israeli strikes have been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours.

Hospitals also received 110 wounded, the ministry said Wednesday. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.

The overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war rose to at least 39,145, the ministry said, and another 90,257 have been wounded.

Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducted about 250.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq sends drones to attack ‘a vital target’ in Eilat BEIRUT — An umbrella group of Iran-backed factions in Iraq says it has carried out an attack with drones on “a vital target” in the southern Israeli city of Eilat.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said the early Wednesday attack comes in retaliation for what it called Israel’s massacres in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said its air force shot down two drones that were flying toward Israel from the east. It added that the drones did not enter Israel’s air space.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed responsibility for scores of attacks against Israel in recent months, but most of the drones were shot down before reaching their targets. A drone attack by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi last week rebels killed one person in the center of Tel Aviv and wounded at least 10 others near the United States Embassy.