Gaza medic held since rescue worker killings released

Israel has released a Palestinian medic held prisoner since soldiers killed 15 of his colleagues in March and buried them in a mass grave.

He's one of 10 detainees who were released back to the Gaza Strip, with the prisoners saying they were ordered by Israel not to speak to the media.

Prisoner Mohammad al-Sharif, who was taken from Rafah, said it felt like he had been given a "new date of birth" because he can finally see his family again.

"While I was in captivity, I thought that I would not find any of my family members and relatives," he said.

The 10 Palestinians released by Israel arrived at Aqsa Hospital in a Red Cross vehicle on Tuesday local time, where they were examined by doctors. Some of them said they had been held for about five or six months.

It came as Israel marked its Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of militant attacks.

Fifty-nine hostages are still inside Gaza, of which about two dozen are believed to be alive. Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians, according to the territory's Health Ministry.

The Israeli military also said it intercepted a drone fired "from the east" but didn't specify where the drone might have come from, saying only that it was intercepted before entering the country's airspace and that no air raid sirens were activated.

Since Israel broke the ceasefire in Gaza in March, a handful of rockets have been fired from the Palestinian territory as well as long-range missiles from Yemen.

Hundreds of people gathered in Tel Aviv for a joint Israel-Palestinian memorial ceremony, held annually since 2006.

Liat Atzili, who was held in captivity by Hamas for 54 days, addressed the ceremony and spoke about her husband, who was killed on October 7, 2023.

"In this situation, where I have no control over anything, I still have the opportunity to decide the type of person I want to be," she said. Atzili said she wanted to focus on the shared humanity, even with those holding her hostage.

Israel police said three protesters were arrested after a brawl outside a screening of the ceremony in Raanana, a town north of Tel Aviv.

According to Israeli media, dozens of right-wing protesters gathered outside a synagogue where a live screening of the ceremony was held and yelled at attendees. Four police officers were lightly injured.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog called on the nation to rise above political wrangling, especially during Memorial Day, at a candle-lighting ceremony in Jerusalem.

"At this pure national moment, I call: remove the IDF from political disputes," he said, referring to Israel's military.

Hours earlier, the Israeli cabinet voted to cancel a government decision to fire the head of the internal security service, part of a political dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the service.

Thousands of people attended a ceremony for fallen soldiers and victims of attacks at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites where Jews can pray.

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk said the world must act together to prevent the collapse of humanitarian aid operations in Gaza, which he said are plunging toward "a new unseen level".

Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2.

"Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, and so do all forms of collective punishment," Turk said in a statement Tuesday.

Israel says the blockade is a pressure tactic on Hamas to release the hostages.