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The Trump administration went on the offensive against the media Thursday over coverage of strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, insisting the operation was a total success and berating journalists for reporting on an intelligence assessment that raised doubts.American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles.President Donald Trump “created the conditions to end the war, decimating — choose your word — obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a news conference at the Pentagon, referring to a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.Trump himself has called the strikes a “spectacular military success” and repeatedly said they “obliterated” the nuclear sites.But US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence assessment earlier this week that said the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months — coverage sharply criticized by Hegseth and others.”Whether it’s fake news CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times, there’s been fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment,” Hegseth said.The document was “leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful,” he said.Trump — who has also personally slammed coverage of the intelligence report, calling for journalists to lose their jobs — on Thursday accused Democrats of leaking the assessment and said they should be prosecuted.- ‘Get a big shovel’ -White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt meanwhile told journalists that the Iran strikes were “one of the most successful operations in United States history,” and joined Trump in lashing out personally at CNN’s Natasha Bertrand — one of the reporters who broke the story on the preliminary assessment.Bertrand has been “used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives,” Leavitt said.CNN has issued a statement saying it stands behind the journalist and her reporting.In his remarks Thursday morning, Hegseth did not definitively state that the enriched uranium and centrifuges at the heart of Iran’s controversial nuclear program had been wiped out. He cited intelligence officials as saying the nuclear facilities were destroyed, but gave little detail.”If you want to know what’s going on at Fordo, you better go there and get a big shovel, because no one’s under there right now,” he said, referring to the deep-underground nuclear site.Among the officials cited by Hegseth was US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who said the previous day that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed.”He also referred to a statement by CIA chief John Ratcliffe, who pointed to a “historically reliable and accurate” source of information indicating that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action.The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters and aerial refueling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.

Israel has acknowledged being hit by more than 50 missiles during the 12-day war with Iran, but the true extent of the damage may never be known due to stringent press restrictions.Such regulations are nothing new in Israel, where any written or visual publication deemed potentially harmful to the loosely defined concept of “national security” can be banned by law.Censorship predates the creation of Israel in 1948, when the territory was under a British mandate.But with the recent missile barrages from Iran that managed to breach Israel’s vaunted air defences and kill 28 people, the restrictions were further tightened.Any broadcast from a “combat zone or missile impact site” requires written authorisation from the military censor, according to the Israeli Government Press Office, which is responsible for government communications and for accrediting journalists.This requirement is particularly stringent when strikes land near military bases, oil refineries, or other facilities deemed strategic.”There is, of course, a very real national security dimension. You don’t want to tell the enemy exactly where its bombs landed, or help them improve targeting,” said Jerome Bourdon, professor of media sociology at Tel Aviv University.”But this also maintains uncertainty around the country’s vulnerability to external threats. We probably will never know the full extent of the damage,” he added.– ‘Reverse the narrative’ –Most of the government’s communication during the war focused on its military successes, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday praising a “historic victory” over Iran.For Bourdon, the tightening of media coverage also reflects “a very clear desire to reverse the narrative”, at a time when Israel faces harsh international criticism over its war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and triggered dire humanitarian conditions.On June 19, Defence Minister Israel Katz accused Tehran of “deliberately targeting hospitals and residential buildings” after a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba was hit, injuring around 40 people.Katz accused Iran of “the most serious war crimes”, while Iran denied intentionally targeting the health centre.Meanwhile, human rights defenders regularly condemn Israel’s destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza and the targeting of hospitals under the claim that they are used by Palestinian militants.During the war with Iran, media coverage near sites of missile strikes in Israel’s civilian areas was occasionally hindered, as foreign reporters were prevented from filming wide shots or specifying the exact location of the impacts.In the central Israeli city of Ramat Gan, police interrupted the live broadcast of two Western news agencies filming a gutted building, suspecting them of providing the footage to Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.Israel banned the outlet in May 2024, alleging it has ties with Palestinian militant group Hamas, which Al Jazeera has denied.– ‘Illegal content’ –In a statement, police said they had acted to stop the broadcast of “illegal content” in accordance with the “policy” of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.The far-right cabinet member, known for his incendiary rhetoric against critics, vowed on June 16 to take tough action against anyone who “undermines the security of the state”.”Zero tolerance for those who help the enemy,” echoed Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.The two ministers “make claims that exceed the legal framework of their powers, and also are very, very extreme,” said Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute.”Usually, they make a lot of noise” in order to “get political gain from this publicity,” she told AFP.Beyond political calculations, “these officials show a deep mistrust, a real hostility toward the liberal Israeli media, and especially toward the foreign media,” said professor Bourdon.The Government Press Office on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to “freedom of the press… as a fundamental right” and insisted it makes “no distinction between Israeli and non-Israeli journalists”.

Argentina will try in absentia ten Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people, a ruling seen by AFP on Thursday said.The attack, which caused devastation in Latin America’s biggest Jewish community, has never been claimed or solved, but Argentina and Israel have long suspected Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah group of carrying it out at Iran’s request.Judge Daniel Rafecas acknowledged the “exceptional” nature of the decision to send the case to court, over three decades after the bombing and with the suspects all still at large.Trying them in absentia, he said, allowed to “at least try to uncover the truth and reconstruct what happened.”On July 18, 1994, a truck laden with explosives was driven into the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) and detonated.The deadliest attack in Argentina’s history injured more than 300 peopleNo-one has ever been arrested over the attack.The ten suspects facing trial are former Iranian and Lebanese ministers and diplomats for whom Argentina has issued international arrest warrants.Since 2006 Argentina had sought the arrest of eight Iranians, including then-president Ali Akbar Hashemi Bahramaie Rafsanjani, who died in 2017.Iran has always denied any involvement and refused to arrest and hand over suspects.Thursday’s ruling on trying them in absentia is the first of its kind in the South American country.Until March this year, the country’s laws did not allow for suspects to be tried unless they were physically present.It comes amid a new push in recent years for justice to be served over the attack, backed by President Javier Milei, a staunch ally of Israel.Rafecas said a trial in absentia was justified given the “material impossibility of securing the presence of the defendants and the nature of the crime against humanity under investigation.” – Nixed nuclear deal -In April 2024, an Argentine court blamed Hezbollah for the attack, which it called a “crime against humanity.”It found that the attack and another on the Israeli embassy in 1992 that killed 29 people were likely triggered by the Argentine government under then-president Carlos Menem canceling three contracts with Iran for the supply of nuclear equipment and technology.The court did not however manage to produce evidence of Iran’s involvement.The Inter-American Court of Human Rights in San Jose, Costa Rica last year found the Argentine state responsible for not preventing, nor properly investigating, the attack.It also blamed the state for efforts to “cover up and obstruct the investigation.”Former president Cristina Kirchner has been ordered to stand trial over a memorandum she signed with Iran in 2013 to investigate the bombing.The memorandum, which was later annulled, allowed for suspects to be interrogated in Iran rather than Argentina, leading Kirchner to be accused of conspiring with Tehran in a cover-up.She has denied the allegations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be cancelled altogether.Trump’s move in support of Netanyahu over the case drew criticism from some Israeli politicians, including a member of the Israeli leader’s own coalition and the leader of the opposition.It came days after Trump and Netanyahu declared victory over Iran in a 12-day conflict that saw Israel bombard the Islamic republic and US planes also drop powerful missiles on its nuclear installations.In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad said the premier’s testimony should be delayed in light of “regional and global developments”.”The court is respectfully requested to order the cancellation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks,” the filing said.It said Netanyahu was “compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance” following the conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt”.In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero”, after the end of the war with Iran.Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Trump for his “heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people”.”I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace,” Netanyahu wrote on X, sharing a copy of Trump’s Truth Social post.Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet: “We are thankful to President Trump, but… the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country.”- Corruption charges -Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the trial, which has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020.In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.One of Netanyahu’s coalition allies, Simcha Rothman of the far-right Religious Zionism party, also called for Trump to stay out of the court case.”It is not the role of the president of the United States to interfere in legal proceedings in the State of Israel,” said Rothman, who chairs the Israeli parliament’s judicial affairs committee.Rothman, a vocal critic of what he argues is judicial overreach, however said that “the management of Netanyahu’s cases is transforming the image of the State of Israel from a regional and global power into a banana republic.”National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of another far-right party in Netanyahu’s coalition, backed Trump’s call, branding the trial politically motivated.Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was “distorted, unreasonable, contrary to the basic sense of justice” to continue Netanyahu’s trial while Israel is at war, also backing Trump’s call to drop the charges.During his current term since late 2022, Netanyahu’s government has proposed a series of far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts.Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the proceedings, most recently citing the ongoing war in Gaza since April 2023, later in Lebanon and earlier this month in Iran.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused US President Donald Trump on Thursday of exaggerating the impact of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, in his first appearance since a ceasefire in the war with Israel took hold.In a televised speech, Khamenei hailed what he described as Iran’s “victory” over Israel, vowed never to yield to US pressure and insisted Washington had been dealt a humiliating “slap”.”The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration,” Khamenei said, rejecting US claims Iran’s nuclear programme had been set back by decades.The strikes, he insisted, had done “nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.Trump, however, maintained the US attacks were devastating.The US president said key facilities, including the underground Fordo uranium enrichment site, had been “obliterated” by American B-2 bombers.Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed speculation Iran might have removed enriched uranium prior to the raid, saying: “Nothing was taken out… too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”He added that satellite images showed trucks at the site only because Iranian crews were attempting to shield the facility with concrete.Khamenei dismissed such claims, saying “the Islamic republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America”.His remarks followed the end of a 12-day war between Iran and Israel — the deadliest between the two countries to date.Both sides have claimed victory: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “historic win”, while Khamenei said Iran’s missile retaliation had brought Israel to the brink of collapse.- US defence -In Washington, the true impact of the strikes has sparked sharp political and intelligence debates.A leaked classified assessment suggested the damage to Iran’s nuclear programme may be less severe than initially claimed — possibly delaying progress by only a few months.This assessment contrasts with statements from senior US officials.CIA Director John Ratcliffe said several facilities would need to be “rebuilt over the course of years”.Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused the media of misrepresenting the operation.He said the United States used massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Fordo and another underground site, while submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles targeted a third facility.”President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating — choose your word — obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth said.Doubts remain about whether Iran quietly removed some 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of enriched uranium from its most sensitive sites before the strikes — potentially hiding nuclear material elsewhere in the country.- Netanyahu says Iran ‘thwarted’ -Following waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since mid-June, the US bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities.Initial intelligence reports, first revealed by CNN, suggested the strikes did not destroy critical components and delayed Iran’s nuclear programme only by months.Experts questioned if Iran had pre-emptively moved enriched uranium to protect it. The US administration has forcefully rejected such suggestions.Trump described the attack as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities, including the Fordo site, which is buried inside a mountain, and claimed it had set back the program by “decades”.The Israeli military said it delivered a “significant” blow to Iran’s nuclear sites but cautioned it was “still early” to fully assess the damage.Netanyahu said Israel had “thwarted Iran’s nuclear project”, warning any attempt by Iran to rebuild it would be met with the same determination and intensity.- Nuclear talks? -Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera that “nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure”.After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope “for a comprehensive peace agreement”.Trump told reporters Israel and Iran were “both tired, exhausted”, before going on to say that talks were planned with Iran next week.”We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” he added.Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its “legitimate rights” to the peaceful use of atomic energy.It has also said it is willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran’s health ministry said.Iran’s attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to Israeli figures.A state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the war.burs-dv/kir

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted Thursday that American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites were a success, backing President Donald Trump and berating the media for covering an intelligence report that questioned the results of the operation.American B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles.”President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating — choose your word — obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth told journalists at the Pentagon, referring to a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.Trump has called the strikes a “spectacular military success” and repeatedly said they “obliterated” the nuclear sites.On Thursday, he insisted that Iran did not manage to move nuclear materials — including enriched uranium — ahead of the US military action.”Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.However, US media revealed a preliminary American intelligence assessment earlier this week that said the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months — coverage sharply criticized by Hegseth.”Whether it’s fake news CNN, MSNBC or the New York Times, there’s been fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment.”The document was “leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful,” Hegseth said.Trump has also lashed out at coverage of the intelligence report, calling for journalists to lose their jobs.- ‘Get a big shovel’ -Hegseth did not definitively state that the enriched uranium and centrifuges at the heart of Iran’s controversial nuclear program had been wiped out, but cited intelligence officials — although giving little detail — as saying the nuclear facilities were destroyed.”If you want to know what’s going on at Fordo, you better go there and get a big shovel, because no one’s under there right now,” Hegseth said, referring to the deep-underground nuclear site.Among the officials cited by Hegseth was US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who said the previous day that “Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed.”He also referred to a statement by CIA chief John Ratcliffe that said: “A body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.”Ratcliffe pointed to a “historically reliable and accurate” source of information indicating that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, speaking Thursday on French radio, meanwhile said Iran’s uranium-enriching centrifuges had been knocked out.”Given power of these (bombs) and the characteristics of a centrifuge, we already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational,” Grossi said.Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action.The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters and aerial refueling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.

Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season.”Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X.  Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: “Al Nassr forever”. The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the oil-rich country.Last month, Ronaldo posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again. “Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,” a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month.The oil-funded PIF, the sovereign wealth fund behind a number of big-ticket Saudi investments, controls a group of Pro League clubs including Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli.Ronaldo’s announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year.Although Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semi-finals last month.Last year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he could end his career with Al Nassr, the Riyadh team favoured by a number of Saudi royals.Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo’s move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034.For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d’Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom.However, the oil-fuelled Saudi football project has drawn comparisons with the Chinese Super League, which imported players on exorbitant salaries until team owners went bust as the Chinese economy fizzled.But with Saudi Arabia set to host the 2034 World Cup, and desperate to re-model itself as a tourism and business magnet before global oil demand falls for good, there is probably more to come from the Pro League.Ronaldo appeared to trade an end-of-career payday for football obscurity when he first moved to Riyadh’s Al Nassr two years ago in a deal said to be worth $250 million at the time.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday became the most prominent European leader to describe the situation in Gaza as a “genocide”, as rescuers in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory said Israeli forces killed 56 people.After more than 20 months of devastating conflict, rights groups say Gaza’s population of more than two million face famine-like conditions.Israel began allowing supplies to trickle in at the end of May following a blockade of more than two months, but distribution has been marred by chaotic scenes and near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect rations.Israel meanwhile is pressing its bombardment of the territory, in a military offensive it says is aimed at defeating militant group Hamas — whose unprecedented October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war.Spain’s Sanchez said Gaza was in a “catastrophic situation of genocide” and urged the European Union to immediately suspend its cooperation deal with Israel.The comments represent the strongest condemnation to date by Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel’s offensive who is one of the first European leaders, and the most senior, to use the term “genocide” to describe the situation in Gaza.Speaking ahead of an EU summit in Brussels, Sanchez mentioned an EU report which found “indications” Israel was breaching its rights obligations under the cooperation deal, which forms the basis for trade ties.The text cited Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid for the Palestinian territory, the high number of civilian casualties, attacks on journalists and the massive displacement and destruction caused by the war.The spokesman for Gaza’s civil defence agency, Mahmud Bassal, said Israeli forces killed 56 people on Thursday, including six who were waiting for aid in two separate locations.The Israeli military said its troops had “fired warning shots” in order to prevent “suspects from approaching them” near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, where Palestinians gather each night for rations.- ‘Only two girls survived’ -Israel began its Gaza offensive to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages seized by militants during the October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 56,259 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The United Nations considers its figures reliable.AFP footage from a hospital in central Gaza on Wednesday showed Palestinians sobbing over bloodied body bags containing their loved ones who had been killed in an Israeli strike.”They (killed) the father, mother and brothers, only two girls survived. One of them is a baby girl aged one year and two months and the other one is five years old,” one mourner said.Beyond daily bombardment, Gaza’s health ministry says that since late May, nearly 550 people have been killed near aid centres while seeking scarce supplies.The United Nations has condemned the “weaponisation of food” in Gaza, and slammed a US- and Israeli-backed body that has largely replaced established humanitarian organisations there.The privately run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was brought into the territory in late May, but its operations have been marred by chaotic scenes, deaths and neutrality concerns.The GHF denies deadly incidents have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points.Israeli restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and authorities in the territory.- Ceasefire push -US President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that “I think great progress is being made on Gaza” to end the Israel-Hamas war.He linked his optimism about imminent “very good news” to a ceasefire agreed Tuesday between Israel and Hamas’s backer Iran to end their 12-day war.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing calls from opposition politicians, relatives of hostages being held in Gaza and even members of his ruling coalition to bring an end to the fighting.Key mediator Qatar said this week it would launch a new push for a ceasefire.Hamas official Taher al-Nunu on Wednesday said talks with mediators had “intensified” but said the group had “not yet received any new proposals” to end the war.Israel declined to comment on any new ceasefire talks beyond saying efforts to return Israeli hostages in Gaza were ongoing “on the battlefield and via negotiations”.Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the Hamas attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.