Israel
US President Donald Trump accused the International Criminal Court of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”
The suggestion that the US could ‘take over’ and ‘own’ the devastated Gaza Strip was met with rebukes from the Middle East and beyond.
The attack comes as Israel enters the second week of military operations in the West Bank.
A three-phase ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took hold in January after months of painstaking negotiations.
The army carried out simultaneous explosions on homes and buildings in Jenin’s refugee camp which it said were ‘terror infrastructure.’
Israeli forces shut down the crossing in early May after seizing it during an offensive on the southern city, causing Egypt to close its side in protest.
The children are the first in what is meant to be regular evacuations of Palestinians through the crossing for treatment abroad.
The militants released Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, in an orderly handover to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip.
The hostages were taken into Gaza following Hamas’ attack on 7 October last year, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage overall.
Israel says its increased military raids are aimed at combating rising Palestinian militant attacks against Israelis, including shootings.