The bodies of two deceased hostages were recovered from southern Gaza in a military operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency announced Wednesday evening.

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access, after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.

Their boat was intercepted on Monday as they attempted to break Israel's naval blockade on Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid.

Yair Yaakov was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. The other hostage will be named later, the Israeli military said.

French doctor Baptiste André was one of 11 crew members aboard the Madleen, an aid boat that was recently seized by Israeli authorities as it attempted to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. Despite feeling fear after the vessel was boarded by soldiers,

Six more activists from the Freedom Flotilla Gaza humanitarian aid mission aboard the Madleen boat were deported from Israel Thursday. They had sought to deliver aid to Gaza but were stopped by Israel's naval blockade.

Israel has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in 2007. It tightened its grip significantly after Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

Israeli fire and airstrikes killed at least 23 people across Gaza, most of them near an aid distribution site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, local health authorities said.

By The Associated Press Israel attacked Iran’s capital early Friday, with explosions booming across Tehran. The attack comes as tensions have reached new heights over Tehran’s rapidly