Israel kills militants in the West Bank as a nervous region watches latest on cease-fire talks

ZEITA, West Bank (AP) — Two Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank killed nine Palestinian militants on Saturday, Israel's army said, as violence flared again in the Israeli-occupied territory with tensions high over the war in Gaza and a potential regional escalation.

Cease-fire discussions on Gaza continued, with an Israel delegation led by the Mossad chief briefly visiting Cairo, an Egyptian official said. The U.S. has urged Israel to seize the chance for a cease-fire after the shock killing of Hamas' political leader in Iran, which Tehran blames on Israel.

That killing and Israel's assassination of a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon have the region holding its breath for retaliation against Israel on either front, or both, after Iran and its proxies vowed to act. Hamas said its command had begun discussions on choosing a new leader.

In the northern West Bank, the Israeli army said its forces first struck a vehicle in a rural area outside the city of Tulkarem early Saturday, killing the five occupants. The army said they were on their way to carry out an attack. Hamas identified all five as militants with the group, including a local commander.

According to an Associated Press journalist and witnesses, the blast took place along a road connecting the Palestinian villages of Zeita and Qaffin.

“We came to the site and found a young man martyred here on the street and half of his face was missing.,” said Taiser Abdullah, a Zeita resident. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said four bodies were “burned and charred beyond recognition."

Later on Saturday, Israel's military said it killed four other Palestinian militants in the Tulkarem area shortly after they opened fire on Israeli troops. No further information was immediately available.

Over 590 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza in October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Most have been killed during Israeli raids and violent protests. Tulkarem is regularly raided by Israeli forces, and Palestinian militant groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, are active there.

A strike in central Gaza early Sunday hit a tent area in the courtyard of Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital, killing four people, including a woman, and injuring others, health officials said.

An Associated Press journalist filmed men rushing to the scene to help the injured and retrieve bodies, while trying to extinguish the fire. The hospital in Deir al Balah is the main medical facility operating in central Gaza, and thousands of people have taken shelter there after fleeing their homes in the war-ravaged territory.

Concerns about a full-fledged regional war are high after the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran early Wednesday and top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut the evening before.

Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, vowed to retaliate against Israel, which said it killed Shukur but has not confirmed or denied its role in Haniyeh's death. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said a short-range projectile was behind the killing and accused the United States of supporting the attack.

The Pentagon said late Friday the U.S. military will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region. The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon encouraged citizens who wish to leave to "book any ticket available," noting that several airlines have suspended or canceled flights. The British government called on its citizens in Lebanon to “leave now.” Jordan did the same.

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the chance for a cease-fire with Hamas, adding that Haniyeh’s killing had “not helped” efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities.

Saturday midday, an Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea arrived in Cairo, an Egyptian official said. The delegation, which also included Ronan Bar, chief of Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet, was to meet with Abbas Kamel, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, for talks on the Philadelphi corridor along the border with Egypt and the Rafah crossing point, the official said.

The delegation left Cairo hours later and there was nothing new, said the Egyptian official, who has direct knowledge of the Gaza cease-fire negotiations and spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief reporters.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials. Netanyahu's office late Friday said he ordered the negotiation delegation to leave for Cairo on Saturday or Sunday.

Egypt's foreign minister had calls with counterparts in Iran and Lebanon about the “dangerous” escalation in the region.

As protesters in various countries marked 300 days of the war in Gaza and expressed support for Palestinians, the death toll inside the territory is nearing 40,000. At least 39,550 have been killed in the nearly 10 months since Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel. That's according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. Israel has accused Hamas of embedding in the civilian population and putting it at risk.

In the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City on Saturday, witnesses told the AP an Israeli strike targeting a school killed an unspecified number of people. Israel's military said it struck a Hamas command center.

Most of Gaza's population of about 2.3 million is displaced, many people multiple times, as Israel's military returns to areas where it says Hamas militants have regrouped. Health services and sanitation have largely collapsed across the territory as hunger grows.

Families of hostages taken on Oct. 7 and others again held protests Saturday night in Israel seeking a deal to end the war. “Most of the military targets were achieved, there is no reason to continue this war,” said one protester, Naama Weinberg.

Jeffery reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo; Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed.

More coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Demonstrators chant slogans while holding Palestinian and Turkish flags during a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Family members of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip protest outside of the home of right-wing Israeli lawmaker Aryeh Deri in Jerusalem, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Demonstrators take part in a rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza, in Rabat, Morocco, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo)

Supporters of the Pakistani religious group "Jamaat-e-Islami" take part in a rally against the Israeli airstrikes and to show solidarity with Palestinian people living in Gaza, in the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/W.K. Yousafzai)

Demonstrators wave flags and hold placards as they take part in a march in support of Palestinians, in London, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

A protester holds a placard during a gathering in support of Palestinian people in Gaza, in Paris, Saturday Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Palestinian citizens of Israel march in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and those held in Israeli jails, in Umm Al-Fahm, Israel, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Mourners carry the body of militant Haitham Balidi, draped in the Qassam Brigade flag of the Hamas militant group's military wing, in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. He was killed in an Israeli drone strike, which Israeli military said struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian woman watches an operation by the Israeli military in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military said it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A protester carries a poster that reads "the humanity has failed in protecting the children and woman of Gaza," in front of a big poster of Marwan Barghouti, the highest profile Palestinian prisoner held by Israel, during a rally in solidarity with Gaza and prisoners held by Israel, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Mourners carry the body of militant Haitham Balidi, draped in the Qassam Brigade flag of the Hamas militant group's military wing, in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. He was killed in an Israeli drone strike, which Israeli military said struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian man reacts to tear gas deployed by the Israeli military in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military said it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian woman watches an operation by the Israeli military in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military said it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Mourners carry the body of militant Haitham Balidi, draped in the Qassam Brigade flag of the Hamas militant group's military wing, in Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. He was killed in an Israeli drone strike, which Israeli military said struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians inspect a car destroyed in a drone strike Zeita village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military says it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians gather around a car destroyed in a drone strike Zeita village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military says it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians inspect a car destroyed in a drone strike Zeita village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military says it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Palestinians gather around a car destroyed in a drone strike Zeita village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Israeli military says it struck five suspected terrorists in a vehicle on their way to carry out an attack. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Los Angeles, you’re next.

Paris raised the game for the Paralympics, with more than 4,000 athletes as well as 2.4 million tickets sold, which was second only to the London Games of 2012. Now the challenge for U.S. organizers is to top it with another breakout moment for para sports.

“We want to conquer America,” said Craig Spence, a spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Reynold Hoover, CEO of the organizing committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics, is confident the Paralympics can do just that.

“We don’t have the Eiffel Tower, we don’t have the Grand Palais, but we’ve got the Coliseum and we’ve got the Rose Bowl and we’ve got SoFi (Stadium), and all these tremendous state-of-the-art venues,” he said in an interview Friday as the Paris Games wound down.

The Paralympic venues for Los Angeles haven’t been announced yet – ideally, they’ll be finalized by the end of 2024. Since LA received the bid in 2017, several venues such as Crypto.com Arena and Sofi Stadium have either been re-envisioned or built.

With five new sports coming to the Olympics, and the addition of para climbing in the Paralympics, a record combined total of up to 15,000 athletes are expected to compete.

“We try to figure out what is the sport that is kind of new, engaging, emerging and can offer the Paralympians another avenue in which to show their intensity and commitment to sport,” Hoover said.

If the Paralympics are to take a jump in popularity in the United States, several areas are generally considered key to that success.

As the Paris Games finished, the NFL kicked off and college football finished its second full week, dominating the U.S. sports market.

Chris Hammer, a para triathlon veteran who won his first gold medal in the PTS5 classification for athletes with mild impairment, wouldn’t be surprised if the attention in the U.S. landed elsewhere — he said he’s “guilty” of it, too.

“I love American football, that’s what I watch on TV,” he said. “We don’t embrace the niche sports as much as Europeans do, so I think that is a challenge that we need to overcome if we want to replicate the success of Paris.”

Since the London Games in 2012, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom has broadcast the Paralympics on live, linear television. France’s national broadcaster, France Télévisions, had near continuous coverage of the games, but while NBC and Peacock’s Olympic and Paralympic coverage has expanded, there is no guarantee Americans will pay for subscriptions when it’s behind a paywall.

Aaron Phipps, a veteran of Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team, remembers U.S. athletes excited about being on TV back in 2012: “I was thinking ‘What are you talking about?’ For us, it’s just completely normalized.”

With the Olympics and Paralympics, there’s several weeks of competition for people to pay attention and remain engaged. The Parisian crowds have done it, but can the Southern Californians?

Hoover said with new technology in the works to generate a more interactive experience, Olympic fatigue shouldn’t be an issue. Instead, he thinks fans will be “more excited” because Los Angeles will act as a “home field advantage” for the United States.

With access to Hollywood, Spence said the organizing committee has a chance to make an impact that extends outside Los Angeles — he expects a global cultural shift when it comes to making Paralympic athletes true pop culture stars.

Visibility isn’t a new issue. Scout Bassett, who competed in Rio de Janeiro and is on the athletes' commission for Los Angeles, thinks more work should be done together between Paralympians and Olympians to generate more awareness through already established stars.

“We are a country that celebrates winning, success, and until we start telling these stories and really giving these athletes the opportunities they deserve in that spotlight, that’s the only way we’re going to grow the Paralympics and change the perceptions about people with disabilities,” she said.

Seasoned Paralympians noted most up-and-coming athletes went years without knowing of para sports programs available to them. They say that must change to grow the games.

“My hope is that LA is gonna be this moment for so many people with disabilities to say, ‘Oh gosh, I could compete, there’s something I could do,’” said Chuck Aoki, a veteran of Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team.

The U.S. once again dominated the Summer Olympics medals table in Paris but, in the Paralympics, China has been the leading force since 2004.

“I think we need to go back to the drawing board,” said Jessica Long, one of the most decorated Paralympic swimmers of all-time.

Long doesn’t think the U.S. reached its full potential in Paris and some Paralympians, who were a part of the three-year turnaround from Tokyo, have struggled.

“I think we need to really get on board, the whole U.S., just to showcase what we can do," she said.

For Matt Stutzman, the compound archer gold medalist, it’s a financial issue and athletes could be backed more by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

“(Money is) the stress – like you basically have to choose between Paralympic sport or supporting your family, and you always gotta pick your family,” Stutzman said.

Medalists from the United States do receive financial bonuses: $38,000 for gold, $23,000 for silver, $15,000 for bronze.

As for Los Angeles, Aoki said reaching the top of the medal table would be tough, but anything is possible.

“Because the reality is, you know, China’s a very large country. The United States is a large country. We have the ability to have athletes contesting every event,” he said. “We just don’t because people don’t know they have access to sport.”

Amanda Vogt is a student at the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

AP Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

Fireworks are fired from the Stade du France during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

Reynold Hoover discusses the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics at the LA28 office in Paris, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Kileigh Kane)

President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons passes the Paralympic flag to Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass, second left, after receiving it from Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, not pictured, during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)