Middle East latest: Gaza ceasefire set to start 8:30 am Sunday after 15 months of war

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said.

The ceasefire will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israel's Cabinet approved the deal early on Saturday; the ceasefire will see the first hostages released.

Brokered by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt in months of indirect talks between the warring sides, the ceasefire is the second truce achieved in the devastating conflict.

The Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed some 1,200 people and left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 hostages remain in Gaza.

Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants but say women and children make up more than half the dead.

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UN's humanitarian affairs agency ramps up preparations to provide aid to Gaza

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N.'s humanitarian affairs agency says it has ratcheted up its preparations for providing aid to Gaza after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Muhannad Hadi, the agency's humanitarian coordinator for the territory, said Saturday the United Nations and its partners are ready to leverage the opportunity for large-scale relief.

Hadi referenced in a statement the agreements reached on implementing humanitarian components in the first phase of the ceasefire, including the provision of supplies ''including water, food, health and shelter to people across Gaza and the long-awaited release of hostages.''

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas it set to go into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday, mediator Qatar said. It will pause the fighting after 15 months of war and see the release of dozens of hostages held by the militants in the Gaza Strip and hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

JERUSALEM — Dozens of Israelis protested the ceasefire deal in Jerusalem on Saturday night, briefly blocking a main road as they shouted for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and the war to continue.

Many carried faux coffins draped in the Israeli flag as well as banners calling the ceasefire a ''betrayal'' of Israeli soldiers killed in the war.

Yehoshua Shin, whose son was killed fighting Hamas militants on Oct. 7, criticized the deal for releasing Palestinians from prison and called on American president- elect Donald Trump to scrap the deal until there is ''total victory'' over the Hamas militant group.

Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice arrives in Syria to search for her son

DAMASCUS, Syria — The mother of missing American journalist Austin Tice has arrived in Syria to continue the search for her son who went missing in the war-torn country more than a decade ago.

Zakka said Tice also wants to be in Syria to share the pain of Syrian people and Syrian mothers whose loved ones are missing.

Tice has been missing in Syria since 2012 and last month, President Joe Biden said his administration believed Tice was alive adding that it was committed to bringing him home. However, he also acknowledged that ''we have no direct evidence'' of his status.

Netanyahu says Israel treating ceasefire with Hamas as temporary

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel is treating the ceasefire with Hamas as temporary and retains the right to continue fighting if necessary.

Speaking to the nation just 12 hours before the ceasefire is to start, he claimed that he had the support of President-elect Donald Trump, who he said he spoke with on Wednesday.

Netanyahu stressed that he was able to negotiate the best deal possible even as Israel's far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Saturday he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition.

Thousands in London rally for fully implementing ceasefire agreement

LONDON — Thousands of people turned out in the streets of London on Saturday for a mass pro-Palestinian rally to call for the full implementation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.

The Metropolitan Police force said about two dozen people were arrested after some protesters broke through a police line containing the rally and failed to disperse according to police instructions. One man was detained on suspicion of supporting banned organizations, while four others were detained over public order offenses.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which has organized many huge rallies in London since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, said the movement will not stop despite the ceasefire agreement.

Protesters were also calling for the U.K. government to pressure Israel to end its oppression of Palestinians, he added.

Wife of longest-held Palestinian prisoner by Israel says she'll be happy to see him again

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The wife of the longest-held Palestinian prisoner by Israel says she will be happy to see him again after more than a decade. The 68-year-old Nael Barghouti is the highest-profile prisoner set to be released under the Gaza ceasefire that begins Sunday.

He was first arrested in 1978 and charged with carrying out armed operations and organizing cells to act against Israel. He was released in 2011 as part of the deal for the Hamas militant group to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but he was arrested again in 2014.

Barghouti's wife, Iman, now worries about being able to see her husband if he is deported to an area she cannot easily reach. ''They prevent families to see each other,'' she said during an interview in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel's right-wing public security minister Ben-Gvir says he will resign from the government

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government over opposition to the ceasefire deal that begins Sunday morning.

He plans to submit his letter of resignation on Sunday morning. The ceasefire goes into effect at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Ben-Gvir called the deal ''reckless.'' His resignation does not bring down the government or derail the ceasefire deal, but the move destabilizes the government at a delicate moment and could eventually lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir were joined by other key Netanyahu allies.

Netanyahu warns ceasefire can't go forward unless Israel receives list of hostages to be released from Gaza

Israel had expected to receive the names by 4 p.m. local time Saturday, now more than three hours ago. Netanyahu in a statement says that ''Israel will not tolerate violations of the agreement.''

Hamas was to give the names to mediator Qatar. There is no immediate Qatar response to questions. There is no immediate Hamas response, either.

Israel says Palestinians won't be able to cross Netzarim corridor for first 7 days of ceasefire

JERUSALEM — A senior Israeli military official says Palestinians will not be able to cross the Netzarim corridor that runs across central Gaza for the first seven days of the ceasefire that's set to start on Sunday.

Israel currently occupies the Netzarim corridor, from the sea to the border with Israel. Israel is to begin withdrawing on Day 7 but the official did not give details on what happens after that. The official spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday in line with military regulations.

— By Josef Federman

Egypt prepares to open the Rafah crossing with Gaza

CAIRO — The Egyptian foreign minister says the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt will start operating ''soon'' as officials prepare for a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza as part of the ceasefire set to take effect on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty did not specify when exactly the crossing will open. The crossing, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world, has been closed since the Israeli army took over the area last May.

Abdelatty said 600 trucks of aid should be entering Gaza daily during the ceasefire, including 50 fuel trucks.

TEL AVIV, Israel — An organization that represents victims of Palestinian attacks vowed to petition Israel's Supreme Court to stop the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of a ceasefire agreement starting Sunday, calling it a ''victory for the murderers.''

''They are releasing terrorists who have blood on their hands for the second time, and this means (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, under pressure from (President-elect Donald) Trump, is endangering people who will be murdered in the future,'' said Meir Indor, the head of the Almagor Terror Victim Association.

Indor added that Israel has not learned its lesson from the past three prisoner exchanges, which all led to released prisoners carrying out new attacks.

Yehya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war, was released together with more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoner in a 2011 deal in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was taken from his tank in Gaza and held captive for five years.

Indor said that it was an additional insult that the negotiations did not leave the typical 48-hour window for victims of attacks to appeal the release of specific prisoners who attacked them.

BEIRUT — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza once the ceasefire takes effect Sunday will be facing many obstacles.

Guterres told reporters in Beirut Saturday that the challenges of aid distribution include gangs that are ''looting systematically the convoys'' as well as the total degradation of Gaza and its infrastructure.

Guterres said there are limited number of trucks at the present in Gaza ''so a lot of actions are necessary in order to make the distribution fully effective.''

He said that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that will end the fighting as of Sunday morning makes it clear that there wouldn't be any impediments by Israel for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

Guterres said the distribution will be carried out by the U.N. and its partners as well as the private sector and other initiatives.

He added: ''It is clear that the situation in Gaza is still extremely complex and a lot of difficulties still remain for an effective distribution.''

1 seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV, Israel — One person was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack in central Tel Aviv on Saturday afternoon, Israel police said.

A passerby shot the attacker and he was in critical condition, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency rescue services.

Police did not identify the attacker but believe the stabbing was a terrorist act. Palestinians have carried out scores of shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis across Israel and the occupied West Bank, especially during the past 15 months of the Israel-Hamas war.

Turkish President Erdogan praises Gaza ceasefire

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is a ''hopeful development'' but also warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a ''long record'' of violating ceasefire agreements.

''Everyone should do their part to prevent a return to the past in Gaza, and constant pressure should be put on Israel,'' Erdogan said at a ruling party congress on Saturday.

Erdogan also addressed Turkey's relationship with the new Syrian administration and praising its ''inclusive'' approach.

''We will provide all kinds of support so that Syria can become whole, strong, and prosperous again,'' Erdogan said.

JERUSALEM — Yemen-based Houthi rebels said they fired a ballistic missile targeting Israel's defense ministry.

The missile triggered sirens in central Israel early Saturday. Israel's military said there was minor damage from falling shrapnel.

The Iran-backed Houthis have been firing projectiles at Israel and at vessels on the crucial Red Sea shipping corridor in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has responded with repeated strikes against what it calls Houthi infrastructure at ports in Yemen and in the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa.

Israel's military later Saturday reported another launch from Yemen that set off sirens in southern Israel, with no reported injuries.

Family of the youngest remaining hostage mark his second birthday in captivity

Kfir was less than nine months old when he was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with his brother Ariel, now 5, and parents Shiri and Yarden Bibas. It is unknown if the family is still alive.

In December 2023, Hamas claimed that Shiri Bibas and her two sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza. Yarden Bibas, who was kidnapped separately, was filmed being informed of their deaths. Israel dismissed the Hamas claim and said the video of Yarden Bibas was ''psychological terror,'' but there have been no signs of the family since.

Kfir, with red hair and a toothless smile, has been in captivity for almost two thirds of his life and has become a symbol across Israel for the helplessness and anger over the hostages' plight.

''In our worst nightmares, we never thought we would reach this day,'' Yifat Zailer, the cousin of Shiri Bibas, said earlier this week.

Last year on his birthday, the family marked what they called '' the saddest birthday in the world.'' This year on his birthday, the family commissioned copies of the pink elephant Kfir is clutching in his hands in the famous hostage photo that has been posted around the world, in hopes that when he comes home they will be able to bring him his favorite toy.

Palestinians prepare to welcome home relatives released from Israeli prisons

KAFR NIEMA, West Bank — Ahead of the first day of the ceasefire, some Palestinians in the West Bank prepare to welcome home their relatives. Some have spent years in Israeli prisons.

Earlier this week Israel's Justice Ministry published a list of the names of 95 Palestinian prisoners set to be released on Sunday. Most of them are accused of crimes such as incitement, vandalism, supporting terror activities or attempted murder.

In the village of Kafr Niema in the West Bank, the Ataya family is hoping to mark their son's birthday on Sunday with his release.

''He will turn 19 and begin his 20th year. It will be a celebration of both a new year of his life and God willing, his release,'' said his father, Nasser Ataya.

Israel's Prison Services says it will carry out the transportation of the prisoners when they're released, rather than the International Red Cross, to avoid ''public expressions of joy.''

The lists of prisoners are published to also allow members of the public to petition Israeli courts against the release of a specific prisoner. They can submit petitions up until the prisoners are released on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Justice Ministry said.

Syria wants to take up its seat in the Arab League

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani says his country wants to ''restore its seat'' in the Cairo-based Arab League and participate in the next Arab summit scheduled later this year in Iraq.

Al-Shibani held a joint press conference with Hossam Zaki, the league's deputy chief, who was on an official visit to Damascus.

Syria's new authority is currently led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group

Al-Shibani called on Arab countries to help with the reconstruction process, especially in infrastructure sectors. He added that Damascus was open to investments to boost Syria's economy.

He also said Syria will work with Arab countries to guarantee stability in the region.

UN chief pledges international support as Lebanon rebuilds

BEIRUT — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the international community will back Lebanon ''for what we believe will be a speedy recovery of this country, making it again the center of the Middle East.''

Lebanon had been without a president for 26 months, part of the country's internal divisions. Guterres said that naming a president and prime minister makes it possible to consolidate the Lebanese institutions and to deploy the Lebanese army across the country, including areas from where Israeli troops will withdraw.

''As soon as the conflict ends, reconstruction begins,'' Guterres said.

The U.S.-brokered 60-day ceasefire is an attempt to end the Israel-Hezbollah war that has killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 16,000 in Lebanon.

Part of the deal is that Hezbollah will pull out from the border area with Israel and only Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers can have armed presence along the Israeli border.

Lebanese leaders asked Guterres to help repatriate Syrian refugees after a new authority took over power in Damascus.

Hezbollah leader praises ceasefire deal

BEIRUT — Naim Kassem said the Palestinian people's sacrifices aborted Israel's attempts to erase ''the Palestinian cause.''

In comments aired on the Lebanese militant group's Al-Manar TV, he also said Lebanon's government has to firmly prevent Israeli violations of the U.S.-brokered 60-day truce aiming to end the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war.

Kassem said Israel violated the truce hundreds of times since it went into effect on Nov. 27, warning that Hezbollah's patience ''should not be tested.''

Meanwhile, Hezbollah's opponents in Lebanon have been calling for the disarmament of the group saying only Lebanese state institutions should have weapons.

Qatar says ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect at 0630 GMT on Sunday

Under the deal, 33 hostages are set to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

The remainder, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas has agreed to free three female hostages on Day 1 of the deal, four on Day 7 and the remaining 26 over the following five weeks.

Israel publishes list of more than 700 Palestinian prisoners to be released under the ceasefire deal

The list came just hours after Israel's full Cabinet approved the ceasefire deal.

The Justice Ministry said the Palestinian prisoners would be released no earlier than 4 p.m. local time on Sunday, the day the exchange is set to begin. The list includes members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups, some of whom are serving lifetime sentences and are convicted of serious offenses such as murder.

The list did not appear to include Marwan Barghouti, the 64-year-old who is the highest-profile prisoner held by Israel and seen by many Palestinians as a prime candidate to become their president in the future. He was a leader in the West Bank during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.