Israel-Hamas war latest: New Hamas leader can ensure a cease-fire deal is reached, Blinken says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the newly chosen Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has the power to ensure that a cease-fire deal is reached for the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Palestinian militant group on Tuesday chose Sinwar, its top official in Gaza who masterminded the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, after political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed July 31 in Iran by a presumed Israeli strike.

Regional tensions have soared after Haniyeh's killing, which Iran blamed on Israel, and retaliation has been expected. Concerns are also high after Israel killed a top Hezbollah commander in Lebanon last week.

Amid diplomatic efforts, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday about their hopes for a cease-fire deal calming tensions in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet over the weekend that Israel is already in a “multi-front war” with Iran and its proxies.

Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis with Israeli restrictions on aid and ongoing fighting limiting access to crucial medical, food and other supplies. The Health Ministry says the death toll in the territory is nearing 40,000.

Here’s the latest:

NAHARIYA, Israel — Israel's military says it has killed a Hezbollah commander in an airstrike in southern Lebanon, as tensions rise along the Israel-Lebanon border.

The army said Hassan Fares Jeshi was killed in a drone attack in the town of Jouayyas and described him as a commander in the militant group’s anti-tank missile unit. Hezbollah confirmed Jeshi’s death but gave no details about his position.

There have been months of near-daily attacks along the border. Both sides are bracing for a potentially significant escalation after the killings last week of a top Hezbollah commander in Beirut and the Hamas political leader in Iran.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has vowed to retaliate against Israel for the strike in Beirut “no matter the consequences." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Nasrallah might cause Lebanon “to pay very, very heavy prices" and warned that the process may deteriorate into war. “That’s not theoretical, it’s real,” he said.

CAIRO — Hospital authorities say two Israeli airstrikes have killed at least eight people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The first strike hit a house in a refugee camp in the city's west, killing three people, according to Nasser hospital, where the bodies were taken. A second strike hit tents for displaced people in the Absa area east of Khan Younis, killing five.

The overall Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has risen to at least 39,677, Gaza's Health Ministry says, with another 91,645 wounded. The ministry doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.

JERUSALEM — Protesters disrupted an Israeli Supreme Court hearing Wednesday about a shadowy military facility where Israel has held Palestinian detainees throughout the war in Gaza.

The protesters yelled “Shame!” as the attorney for a number of Israeli human rights groups argued that the Sde Teiman facility should be closed permanently over repeated allegations of detainee abuse. An Associated Press investigation into the facility, as well as others by rights groups, found detainees endured abysmal conditions there.

The Israeli military said July 29 that it detained nine soldiers for questioning following allegations of “substantial abuse” of a detainee at Sde Teiman, located in southern Israel. The arrests prompted an outcry from right-wing government officials, and several hundred protesters swarmed the military base where the detained soldiers were held, calling the arrests an affront to their service.

On Tuesday night, Israel’s Channel 12 aired what it said was security camera footage from Sde Teiman that showed several soldiers moving a detainee to the side of a large hall where other detainees are seen laying on the floor on their fronts with their hands over their heads. In footage from a different angle, the soldiers are shown in a huddle and lifting up protective shields, apparently concealing the detainee from view, the report said. Channel 12 said the video was part of the investigation into alleged sexual assault.

The military has generally denied ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, though a United Nations human rights office issued a report accusing Israel of mistreating Palestinian prisoners. Following the accusations of harsh treatment that prompted this court case, Israel said it was transferring the bulk of Palestinian detainees out of Sde Teiman and upgrading it. According to testimony during the hearing, there are currently around 30 Palestinians being held at Sde Teiman on a daily basis.

The human rights organizations that brought the case argued that the entire facility should be closed because it does not meet minimum humanitarian standards for detainees. It was not immediately clear when a ruling was expected.

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey will file a request Wednesday with a United Nations court to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel, a Turkish official said.

The declaration of intervention will be submitted at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the official said on condition of anonymity in line with regulations that bar officials from speaking to the media without prior authorization.

South Africa brought a case to the International Court of Justice late last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention through its military operations in Gaza. Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain and Palestinian officials have sought to join the case. The court’s decision on their requests is still pending. If admitted to the case, the countries would be able to make written submissions and speak at public hearings.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has frequently compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler, accused his country of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts, and criticized Western nations for backing Israel.

Israel has strongly rejected accusations of genocide and has argued that the war in Gaza is a legitimate defensive action against Hamas militants for their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took 250 hostages.

Preliminary hearings have already been held in the genocide case against Israel, but the court is expected to take years to reach a final decision.

Associated Press journalist Suzan Fraser contributed.

TOKYO — United States Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will skip this year’s atomic bombing memorial service in Nagasaki because Israel was not invited, the embassy said Wednesday.

Emanuel will not attend the event because it was “politicized” by Nagasaki’s decision not to invite Israel, the embassy said. He will instead honor the victims of the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima on Aug. 9, 1945, at a ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Some 70,000 people were killed, and Japan surrendered soon after on Aug. 15, 1945, ending World War II and the country’s nearly half-century of aggression in Asia.

Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki indicated in July his reluctance to invite Israel, and announced last week that it was not invited, noting concern for “possible unforeseen situations.” Nagasaki hoped to conduct the ceremony “in a peaceful and solemn atmosphere,” he said.

In contrast, Hiroshima invited the Israeli ambassador to Japan to Tuesday’s ceremony, among 50,000 attendants that also included Emanuel and other envoys, though Palestinian representatives were not invited. The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, killing 140,000 people and destroying the city.

CAIRO — Yemen’s Houthis say a United States-led coalition carried out two airstrikes late Tuesday in territory controlled by the Iran-backed rebels.

The region is bracing for a potential counterattack by Iran and its allies following the killing of top militants in Beirut and Tehran, in strikes attributed to Israel.

The Houthis’ military media office said the strikes occurred in the Taiz province without providing further detail. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military.

The Houthis have launched several long-range missile and drone attacks targeting Israel since the start of the war in Gaza and have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians. A U.S.-led coalition began launching airstrikes against the rebels in Yemen in January.

Israel has intercepted nearly all the projectiles fired from Yemen, but a rare direct hit on Tel Aviv in July killed one person and wounded 10. Israel responded with airstrikes on Yemen that the Houthi-run Health Ministry said killed six people and wounded more than 80.

The Houthis paused their attacks for around two weeks but launched a missile at a container ship over the weekend.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders Wednesday for an area in northern Gaza that was heavily bombed at the start of the war some 10 months ago.

The military said it would respond to a Hamas rocket attack from the Beit Hanoun area the day before and urged residents to relocate to Gaza City, large areas of which have been destroyed.

Beit Hanoun, which is close to the border, was one of the first targets of the massive bombardment and ground invasion launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which triggered the war.

Israeli forces have repeatedly returned to areas where past air and ground operations caused widespread destruction, as militants have regrouped. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced within the narrow coastal strip since the start of the war — often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in crowded tent camps.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack who is becoming Hamas’ new political leader, has the power to ensure that a cease-fire deal is reached.

Sinwar “has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding the cease-fire, and so I think this (today’s announcement) only underscores the fact that it’s really on him to decide whether to move forward with a cease-fire that manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need, women, children, men who are caught in a crossfire,” Blinken said. "It really is on him.”

Supporters raise their fists and cheer as they watch a speech given by Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on a screen during a ceremony to commemorate the death of top commander Fouad Shukur, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last week, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)

A young girl holds a portrait of top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last week, during a ceremony to commemorate his death in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)

Palestinians stand in rubble after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Gunmen attend the funeral of five Palestinians killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the West Bank city of Jenin, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian man carries an injured child after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Mourners carry the bodies of five Palestinians during their funeral, draped in flags of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups, killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the West Bank city of Jenin, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian walks on a smoke-filled street after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Mourners attend the funeral of Hezbollah commander Ali Jawad who was killed on Monday by an Israeli airstrike, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. Since early October, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border calling it a backup front for their Palestinian allies in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Israeli Police work at the site of a drone strike in Nahariya, Israel, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Tents are in disarray after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

FILE - Yahya Sinwar chairs a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

Hezbollah supporters hold portraits that show Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah and one of his commander Fouad Shukur, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last week, during a ceremony to commemorate his death in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mustafa Jamalddine)

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and Emmanuel Clase recorded his 46th save as the Cleveland Guardians rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 on Monday night to tighten their grip on the AL Central.

With Josh Naylor on second after a double, Manzardo connected on the first pitch from Griffin Jax (4-5), sending it deep into the right-field seats for his third homer to trigger an eruption of joy in Cleveland's dugout and throughout Progressive Field.

“I'm so happy for him,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who was overcome with emotion during his postgame news conference. “Everyone who grows up wanting to play baseball has dreamed of that moment happening. The smile on his face looking back at our dugout, that was incredible.”

Vogt paused to compose himself.

“My favorite part is Naylor at second base standing there watching it and cheering, waiting for him at home plate with a smile on his face,” Vogt said, his eyes reddened by tears. “To see two teammates come together like that, that's powerful stuff.”

Manzardo said his trip around the bases was unforgettable.

“I floated a little bit,” he said. “I don’t remember all of it, honestly.”

Their MLB-leading 40th come-from-behind win moved the Guardians 7 1/2 games ahead of the defending division champion Twins. It also reduced Cleveland's magic number for clinching a playoff berth to two.

Clase, who has built a strong argument for Cy Young consideration, worked the ninth for his 33rd consecutive save and No. 46 this season, tying him with José Mesa (1995) for the club's single-season record.

“It’s really special,” Clase said of catching Mesa. “It's all about the focus, being able to stay focused on every single pitch and to execute every single pitch when I get the chance to pitch.”

Rookie Andrew Walters (1-0) picked up his first career win as Cleveland's top-ranked bullpen threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings to bail out starter Matthew Boyd, who didn't get out of the third.

Pablo López pitched into the seventh inning for the Twins, but Minnesota's bullpen couldn't protect the lead.

Byron Buxton hit a two-run single for the Twins, who dropped to 8-2 against the Guardians in 2024.

Minnesota's division chances are essentially done, and every loss puts a possible wild-card spot in jeopardy.

“Our margin of error keeps shrinking and shrinking,” said López. "Now it's to the point we got to take it one game at a time, one pitch at a time, one at-bat at a time. Today will be a tough pill to swallow.

“We still have a shot. Everyone's aware of the standings. There's a scoreboard wherever you go.”

The Twins took a 3-0 lead in the third and chased Boyd, who gave up a double to Carlos Correa and then hurt himself by loading the bases with a pair of two-out walks.

Correa scored on a passed ball and Buxton brought in Minnesota's next two runs with a single that deflected off Boyd's glove into center. As Guardians second baseman Giménez tried to reach it behind the bag, he collided with umpire Chad Fairchild, who was doing all he could to get out of the way.

Giménez needed a few minutes to gather himself but stayed in.

KWAN UPDATE

Guardians All-Star left fielder and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan missed his fourth straight game with lower back soreness. Kwan went through a strenuous pregame workout and Vogt said the team should have a better handle on a timeframe for Kwan's return Tuesday.

Kwan is batting just .201 in the second half after leading MLB with a .352 average at the All-Star break.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Guardians: Vogt said RHP Alex Cobb (middle finger blister) is scheduled to throw a bullpen in “the next couple days” and providing there no setbacks, he's expected to be sent out for a minor league rehab start. The 36-year-old has only made three starts since Cleveland acquired him in a July trade from San Francisco.

UP NEXT

Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (3-9, 5.23 ERA) starts Tuesday's game against Twins rookie RHP Zebby Matthews (1-3, 7.11).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, front right, celebrates with catcher Austin Hedges, left, after they defeated the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges, left, and relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase, right, celebrate after they defeated the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Kyle Manzardo, right, celebrates as he runs the bases with a home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. Twins' third baseman Royce Lewis is at left. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana (30) watches his single with Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, left, in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez (49) reacts as he is taken out of the game by manager Rocco Baldelli, left, in the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. Twins's Carlos Correa is at right. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, left, gestures to home plate umpire Carlos Torres after Bo Naylor, right, was called out on strikes in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) is taken out by manager Stephen Vogt, left, in the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Matthew Boyd pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, second from left, is checked out after colliding with second base umpire Chad Fairchild in the third inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton crashes into the outfield padding after catching a fly ball for an out against Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins' Ryan Jeffers, center, gets high-fives in the dugout after scoring in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton jumps to catch a fly ball for an out against Cleveland Guardians' Bo Naylor in the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Minnesota Twins' Pablo Lopez pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan catches a fly ball for an out against Minnesota Twins' Will Castro in the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor gestures from second base after hitting a double in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez catches a foul ball for an out against Minnesota Twins' Carlos Santana in the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase reacts after his teams defeated the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Emmanuel Clase pitches in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Kyle Manzardo reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)