'Vast majority' of Iran's attempted attacks on Strait of Hormuz are unsuccessful, CENTCOM spokesman says

The "vast majority" of Iran's attempted attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are "unsuccessful" as the key waterway remains open for transit, U.S. Central Command Spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News Digital this week.

Hawkins spoke after CENTCOM said the GFS Pride, a Singapore-flagged, Cyprus-owned container ship was hit by an Iranian projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday and sunk while being towed ashore due to a fire on board the ship.

"The vast majority of Iran's attempted attacks on innocent civilian mariners transiting an international waterway, being the Strait of Hormuz, they are unsuccessful. As a matter of fact, the U.S. military has assisted in providing coordinated protection for thousands of ships that have safely transited," Hawkins said. "That translates to about 97% of the ships that have sought to transit the Strait of Hormuz have done so successfully without being hit by an Iranian projectile.

"But let's be clear here, what the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran is doing is unjustified and it's also unsuccessful because they are not achieving their objective of closing the Strait of Hormuz," he added. "It is open, it is available for transit, and we've seen that transit continue this very day."

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In an update Friday from CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, he said, "In recent days and months, we have seen the IRGC continually attack merchant ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and in many cases kill innocent civilian mariners.

"The International Maritime Organization reports that more than 20 civilian mariners have been killed by Iran's attacks against commercial shipping since February," Cooper continued.

"Over the last seven days alone, about 400 merchant ships have sailed through the Strait. U.S. forces have also assisted Gulf partners in shipping over 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period, adding to the more than 1.3 billion barrels of crude we have helped regional allies ship through the Strait in recent months," he added.

Hawkins also told Fox News Digital that he thinks "every American should be proud of American service members who are serving across the Middle East, in particular focusing on doing two things at once as it relates to Iran.

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"And one is helping maintain flow through the Strait of Hormuz in the form of commercial vessels despite Iran's unjustified aggression," Hawkins said, noting that thousands of ships have crossed through the waterway over the last few months, "in addition to more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil.

"At the same time that they are encouraging traffic flow in support of international shipping, they are maintaining a steel wall blockade against Iran. There have been no exports or imports to Iran without U.S. permission in the form of allowing humanitarian ships to go through," Hawkins continued. "So that shows the precision, dedication, and professionalism of our troops who are executing this complex mission — not just one — but two at the same time."

More than 50,000 U.S. service members are currently stationed across the Middle East, according to Hawkins.

"They are highly vigilant, they are highly dedicated, and they're serving with courage and bravery. And they're doing so alongside our regional allies and partners. It shouldn't be forgotten that we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Gulf allies and partners to help them defend their airspace from unjustified and unwarranted attacks from Iran, and we have been highly successful in working together, and will continue to do that," he said.

Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.

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Pope Leo XIV to be discharged from hospital and return to Vatican after surgery to remove lung cancer

Pope Leo XIV will be discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Saturday following surgery to remove a cancerous node in his lung, according to a statement from the Holy See.

"Following the doctors’ assessment this morning, Pope Leo XIV will be discharged today from Gemelli Hospital, where he was hospitalized for surgery on his right lung," the statement read.

"He will leave the hospital in the early afternoon and return to the Vatican. Tomorrow, he will lead the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment," the statement added.

The pope received blood tests and a chest X-ray Saturday, both of which confirmed he is well enough to return to the Vatican, according to Vatican News.

The pope will celebrate mass in a room on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital before returning to the Vatican, according to the Holy See press office.

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Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery to remove the node on Tuesday. Following the successful surgery, doctors diagnosed him with lung adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.

"The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications," a statement from the Holy See press office read.

RECOVERING FROM LUNG SURGERY, POPE LEO URGES PUTIN TO AGREE TO CEASEFIRE IN RUSSIAN-HELD UKRAINE CITY

"Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor," Vatican News added in a statement.

While recovering, Pope Leo called Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to call for a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky.

POPE LEO XIV SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE LUNG CANCER SURGERY AMID MAJOR RECOVERY MILESTONE

"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," a statement from the Vatican read.

"Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace," the statement added.

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Russia has controlled the southern Ukrainian city since May and has not allowed any humanitarian food deliveries in the city. Oleshky also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional, according to previous Fox News Digital reporting.

Fox News Digital contacted the Holy See for further comment.

Fox News Digital's Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

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ChinaAid raises alarm over imprisoned Chinese pastor's health as family seeks answers

The founder of Christian human rights organization ChinaAid is raising concerns over the health of an imprisoned Chinese pastor who may be suffering from advanced liver cancer, as his family continues to face restrictions on visitation adn access to medical information.

Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, told Fox News in an interview that reports concerning Pastor Wang Yi's health are "very worrying," citing information received from multiple sources inside China.

Wang, the founding pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, has been imprisoned since December 2018 and is serving a nine-year sentence on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.

Although Fu believes that reports of advanced liver cancer are credible, he acknowledged that his organization has not been able to independently confirm the diagnosis.

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Fu said ChinaAid was "not able to really independently verify" the reports, citing restrictions on access to Wang and the absence of an independent medical examination.

The organization first publicly raised concerns about Wang's condition on Sept. 28, calling on Chinese authorities to provide his family with access to him and disclose information about his medical treatment.

During the interview, Fu revealed that authorities reportedly provided information by telephone about medical examination they claimed had been conducted on Oct. 1.

According to Fu, prison officials cited medical information indicating Wang was in good health. However, his family has not been permitted a new in-person visit to independently assess his condition.

Fu said that despite repeated letters from Wang's wife and relatives requesting access, "no meeting had been granted at all," since the latest health concerns emerged.

The pastor's church has also expressed uncertainty about his condition.

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In an Oct. 3 open letter, Early Rain Covenant Church acknowledged the reports but said it could not determine whether Wang had fallen ill. The church called on prison authorities to permit regular family visits, correspondence and telephone calls, as well as provide information about any necessary medical care.

According to the church, Wang's family has been permitted fewer than five visits during nearly eight years of imprisonment.

Fu likewise described severely restricted visitation, saying meetings have been brief and closely monitored by authorities. He alleged that discussions concerning Wang's health or religious beliefs have resulted in visits being abruptly terminated.

"Two years, not a single letter for his wife," Fu said, describing the restrictions on communication.

"That's not acceptable. That's even a violation of its own law."

Wang was arrested on Dec. 9, 2018, during a crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, an independent Protestant congregation operating outside China's state-regulated religious systems.

In December 2019, a Chinese court sentenced him to nine years in prison. The U.S. State Department condemned the conviction at the time, describing the prosecution as connected to Wang's peaceful advocacy for religious freedom and calling for his release.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom currently lists Wang as a religious prisoner of conscience and has documented reports of medical neglect.

Fu also raised concerns about the treatment of Wang's wife Jiang Rong, who was detained during the initial crackdown.

He said Jiang had previously been subjected to residential surveillance at a police-arranged location, rather than being allowed to remain in her own home, and described the lasting emotional consequences of her treatment.

Fu said he believes the severity of the reports warrants immediate action, particularly given the limited access to Wang.

He called on the Chinese authorities to permit Wang's wife, son and elderly parents to meet with him privately, allow an independent medical examination in the presence of legal counsel, and release his medical records, including information concerning medications administered during his imprisonment.

Fu also expressed concern about reports of mistreatment of other prisoners of conscience, including allegations of forced medication and serious physical and psychological harm. Those allegations were discussed as part of his broader concerns about the treatment of detainees in China, rather than as established evidence of what has happened to Wang.

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The ChinaAid president urged the Trump administration to raise Wang's case directly with Chinese officials during upcoming diplomatic engagements.

"I really want to see the Trump administration to continue to speak up forcefully," Fu told Fox News, calling for the names of individual prisoners of conscience to be included in high-level discussions.

He pointed to the July release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who was reunited with his family after President Donald Trump raised his case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a May visit to Beijing.

Fu believes that example demonstrates the potential importance of direct diplomatic intervention, although the circumstances of Jin's release do not establish that such pressure would produce the same result in Wang's case.

Trump and Xi are expected to attend upcoming international summits, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leader's meeting in Shenzhen, China, in November and the G-20 summit in Miami in December.

Fu urged U.S. leaders not to allow trade and security negotiations to overshadow concerns about religious freedom, human rights and the treatment of prisoners.

"I think it's time to hold them accountable," Fu said.

In a statement to Fox News, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang said the embassy had no information to provide regarding Wang's specific case.

The spokesperson defended China's religious policies, saying the government protects freedom of religious belief under Chinese law and does not interfere in religious groups' internal affairs.

Liu added that China prohibits illegal activities carried out under the guise of religion and opposes foreign interference in its domestic affairs.

The embassy did not directly address questions about Wang's reported medical condition, family visitation or the possibility of an independent medical examination.

The U.S. State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by publication time.

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Recovering from lung surgery, Pope Leo urges Putin to agree to ceasefire in Russian-held Ukraine city

Pope Leo XIV called Russian President Vladimir Putin while recovering from surgery in the hospital to urge him to call a ceasefire in the city of Oleshky in Ukraine.

"During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population," the Vatican said in a statement.

"Finally, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting dialogue and peace."

TRUMP ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE ENERGY CEASEFIRE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

The situation in Oleshky is dire with no humanitarian food deliveries allowed in the Russian-controlled city since May. It also has no electricity, gas or running water, and the hospital is barely functional.

The pope was diagnosed with lung cancer Tuesday and underwent a procedure to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.

The 71-year-old remained in the hospital recovering on Friday but seemed to be doing well.

Along with the call, he held Mass in a makeshift hospital chapel, and the Vatican released the first images of him since his surgery, which showed him standing at an altar.

POPE LEO XIV SEEN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE LUNG CANCER SURGERY AMID MAJOR RECOVERY MILESTONE

His doctors said he showed "continued improvement."

"His post-operative recovery allows him to carry out his normal daily activities completely on his own," a medical update signed by his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said.

The pope is expected to deliver his traditional Angelus prayer service on Sunday either from the hospital or the Vatican.

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He is also still expected to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru starting Nov. 6 as planned.

The Kremlin blames Ukraine for the situation in Oleshky with Putin giving the pope a "detailed explanation regarding the Kyiv regime’s responsibility for the difficult humanitarian situation there," the Kremlin said.

Putin also supports "the Vatican’s intention to help create conditions for ensuring the safety of the local population and facilitating the delivery of essential supplies," the Kremin added.

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Houthis emerge as global threat beyond Iran control amid Saudi strikes, former envoy warns

The Houthis are increasingly operating independently of Tehran, posing a "clear and very present danger" on the international stage as the terror group rearms and sharpens its strike capabilities, a former U.S. envoy warned Thursday.

The warning came amid deadly missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent days and growing threats to global shipping routes and critical Middle East infrastructure in the run-up. 

Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, also confirmed Thursday that Houthi attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh had killed 17 and injured 333 others from Oct. 7-11.

Speaking at a news conference in Riyadh, al-Maliki said the Oct. 10 attack involved 10 drones, missiles and other projectiles. 

"King Khalid International Airport has been subjected to 20 attacks since (Oct. 1)," he noted.

Tim Lenderking, who served as U.S. special envoy for Yemen from 2021 to 2025 and was posted to Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2016, said Saudi officials had warned more than a decade ago that the Houthis would become a major threat, a prediction he says has now materialized.

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"The Saudis were very clear to our leaders that they viewed the Houthis as a major threat," Lenderking said of his time in the kingdom a decade ago.

At the time, he said, the group was "quietly building up their capability, burnishing their narrative of why they sought to lead Yemen as a messianic group, as a group from northern Yemen, with an agenda, with a mission."

The Houthis had emerged as a religious and political movement in Yemen in the 1990s, but their ties to Iran developed into a military partnership after 2014, when Tehran expanded its assistance and training during Yemen's civil war.

"The Houthis don't really need the Iranians anymore," Lenderking, a former acting assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs at the U.S. State Department, continued, adding it was still "a very important relationship that "enabled the Houthis to become the powerful force that they are."

Lenderking, now a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), said, over time, the Houthis had developed their own "homegrown indigenous capability" as they capitalized on any disunity across the Gulf region.

Saturday's missile and drone attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh raised concerns that President Donald Trump could be drawn into a broader regional conflict as Saudi Arabia seeks U.S. assistance. 

Asked whether the U.S. would defend Saudi Arabia against further attacks, Trump said, "You'll find out soon."

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Speaking at an MEI briefing, Lenderking said the Houthis' sophisticated weapons and targeting capabilities have transformed the group from a regional insurgency into an international security threat.

"They have the capability to hit around the region, including up into the northern reaches of the Red Sea. So, this is a regional problem, and given the fact that the Houthis control the west coast of Yemen," Lenderking said.

"It's an international problem now." 

Lenderking cited the precision of the Riyadh airport attack as evidence of the Houthis' growing capabilities compared with earlier strikes during the Gaza conflict.

"They can hit things better. Now, they are hitting Terminal Four of Riyadh Airport, very specifically. It's a clear and very present danger," he said.

The Houthis reportedly launched multiple drones followed by cruise and ballistic missiles that traveled more than 620 miles to Riyadh, prompting an investigation into possible Saudi air defense failures, according to The Associated Press, citing regional officials.

Saudi forces intercepted two more ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh on Monday. On Tuesday, a Houthi strike caused damage to Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran, sparking a fire that spread across several floors, Reuters reported.

Lenderking said the Houthis have built extensive weapons supply chains, smuggling networks and domestic financing operations that allow them to sustain attacks without relying solely on Tehran.

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"They get a lot of supplies off the open market through the internet, through commercial exchanges. They have a very well entrenched smuggling network, from big boats onto small boats, onto tiny boats, on the pack animals, on people's backs.

"They are able to move things undetected through government terrain, even through various borders and with a lot of wide open space there. They are constantly moving, building, resupplying, restocking, innovating."

The group's self-sufficiency also extends to financing. Lenderking said the Houthis generate revenue through black-market oil sales, taxation and extortion while also forcing families to provide recruits, allowing the group to continue fighting even if Iranian assistance is cut off.

"They have had support from Iran over the years, so they have money in the bank from that," Lenderking said. 

"They relied on sales of black market oil in the past. They extort Yemeni transport companies, businesses. They tax people in areas that they control. They force many families to offer up a son to fight on the front lines."

The Houthis' expanding arsenal has raised concerns about potential Chinese involvement in their weapons supply networks.

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Yemen's government has accused the rebels of seeking Chinese components for medium-range ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the group's access to advanced military technology.

"There is a Chinese connection here that's very detrimental," Lenderking warned, adding that front companies have helped the group obtain weapons through commercial channels.

Lenderking warned that the Houthis could also target Saudi energy facilities, pipelines and desalination plants, infrastructure critical to the kingdom's economy and water supply. 

"The Houthis have hit pipelines," he said. "They have diesel plants and other energy infrastructure in their sights."

Attacks on such facilities could disrupt global energy markets, maritime commerce and regional stability.

The Houthis also control Yemen's western coastline along the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia.

With the rebels now capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away, Lenderking warned that the threat extends far beyond Yemen's borders.

"One blast at Riyadh Airport is a huge statement," the expert said.

"That's why I come back to the fact that this is an international conflict," he said, adding that "immediate action is required."

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UN inquiry member says some genocide claims against Israel unverified as Gaza reports population growth

The allegations of genocide against Israel took more hits this week following the reported admission by a senior member of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Israel that claims had not been independently verified. This comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health data shows Gaza’s population grew in 2025.

Critics say the accusations fueled antisemitism around the world and that those pushing the genocide claims — including major international media outlets — need to be made accountable for their words.

In September 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel (COI) released a report stating that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza since October 2023. In the report, the COI cited an article from the Guardian stating that 83% of Gazans killed in the conflict were civilians.

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Following the release of data from the COI commissioner, Chris Sidoti, in an interview last week reported by JNS and posted on X was asked whether the COI had independently established that the remainder of Palestinians said to be killed in the fighting were civilians, Sidoti said, "No, we didn’t because we don’t have that information … We literally do not know, nor does anybody else know, including the IDF, how many militants were there." 

The former chair of the committee, Navanethem "Navay" Pillay, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week.

The Palestinian MOH Health Information Unit recently released statistics on overall mortality in Gaza for 2025. This is the first update to include non-violent deaths since 2022, prior to the outbreak of conflict following the terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

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The MOH reported that 24,650 deaths were registered in 2025, with 18,085 (73.4%) being males and 6,565 (26.6%) being females. 70.1% of deaths, or 17,286 cases, were attributed to direct targeting in the war.

The MOH also reported 50,227 live births in 2025. Fox News Digital reached out to officials at the ministry but did not get a response by press time.

Elliot Malin, president at Stratos Council, told Fox News Digital that the MOH data is further evidence against accusations of genocide. With the number of live births in 2025 far greater than the number of deaths, Malin says it is "very hard for us to infer the intent of Israel was to destroy Palestinians in Gaza to a substantial portion."

"We’re not seeing a population under threat. We are seeing that it is actually able to sustain itself," Malin said. He took issue with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declaration last year that famine had reached Gaza in the summer of 2025. Malin said that "if the population is sustaining and growing through this, what they call a famine, it indicates that there is enough caloric intake to sustain the population."

Gabriel Epstein, senior policy associate at Israel Policy Forum, also told Fox News Digital that widespread allegations of genocide are not supported by the MOH report. First, the report "absolutely" demonstrates population growth in 2025, according to Epstein, who added it would "be surprising" if the population of Gaza, "one of the youngest…in the world," was not growing.

While he says that it is impossible to discern the actual rate of population growth given factors like emigration and immigration, Epstein said that "the argument that we would need to make to say that there was negative population growth in 2025 would be to more than double the number of both violent and non-violent deaths."

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Andrew Fox, senior associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that "the data now shows that there was no famine in Gaza." He said that the allegations play into "the ages-old blood libel of Jews killing children and undoubtedly stoked the global fires of antisemitism. Agencies and the media who shared these false allegations have blood on their hands."

Epstein said that the latest MOH data is strong proof against the statements from external organizations who used estimates and ratios of non-violent deaths from other conflict zones to suppose that the MOH’s ongoing count of the death toll in Gaza was inaccurate, and that deaths had likely reached multiple hundreds of thousands. These estimated figures were largely used to drive the narrative that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. He said that current MOH figures "really eliminate the possibility that there is a much higher death toll driven by non-violent or non-trauma deaths."

He noted that comparing the latest report with ongoing MOH data on overall casualties throughout the war shows that the MOH was not "missing the vast, vast majority of [malnutrition-related] deaths you would have needed to be missing to justify the IPC’s assessment" that famine had reached parts of Gaza in summer 2025.

The IPC did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about how new information impacts its prior declaration of famine.

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In the MOH’s favor, Epstein said that the current tranche of figures supports a real attempt at honest accounting from the health organization, which was accused of inflating civilian casualties — particularly those of women and children — during the early days of the war.

In its latest report, however, the MOH does not distinguish how many terrorists were among those killed in the conflict. In fact, it states that "The number of deaths among males was approximately 4.9 times the number of deaths among females within this group — attributed principally to the direct targeting of working-age men during military operations."

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A spokesperson from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Fox News Digital that, "The IDF targets terrorists and military objectives, not civilians based on their age or gender. The fact that more military-age men are disproportionately among those eliminated is consistent with the fact that terrorist organizations are predominantly composed of men in this age group. It does not demonstrate that the IDF targets individuals because they are men or of a certain age." 

The spokesperson added that, "Targets are selected based on their military nature or an individual’s involvement in terrorist organizations or participation in hostilities, in accordance with international law and IDF directives. Unlike Hamas, which deliberately targets Israeli civilians, the IDF takes all feasible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians and operates under a structured targeting framework designed to ensure the identification of lawful military objectives."

Epstein also pushed back against the MOH claim that working-aged men are being purposefully targeted. Epstein said that "military-aged men aren't appearing disproportionately because the IDF was targeting military-aged men as such, but because the vast majority of militants come from that range." He said that "Gaza is unique in how heavily militarized its male population is."

Epstein added that available 2025 data does not support the claim that the IDF acted with the intent to cause harm to the population. Not only do the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks and hybridization of civilian and military structures in Gaza provide a rationale for military targeting, Epstein emphasized that the IDF has taken numerous mitigation measures to avoid civilian casualties.

Requests for comment to the Palestinian Ministry of Health were not returned by press time.

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El Salvador's Bukele announces plan to free up to half of prisoners jailed in gang crackdown

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has unveiled a plan that could allow the conditional early release of up to half of those detained under a state of emergency that authorities used to arrest more than 90,000 people in the past four and a half years as part of an effort to curb violent criminal gang activity.

Bukele's plan to cut the prison population was announced on Tuesday night. It would focus on freeing prisoners who were deemed gang collaborators, a broad term that can include various people, including gang lookouts and those who make extortion payments.

"There are many people who have indeed committed crimes, but their crime was collaborating with gangs," Bukele said. "They deserve to be in jail, but we come from a country where collaborating with gangs wasn’t so unusual, and if we were to arrest everyone who collaborated with gangs, we would have to arrest 20% of the population."

Without offering details, the president indicated that authorities plan to analyze cases to determine potential early release with monitoring, which could apply to half of the people detained during the state of emergency.

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The state of emergency was declared in March 2022 after a surge in violence left more than 60 people dead in a single day. The measure was initially imposed for 30 days but has been repeatedly extended.

The emergency declaration has coincided with a dramatic decline in the country's homicide rate and helped make El Salvador a more appealing tourist destination while also suspending or restricting certain constitutional protections, including the right to be informed of the reasons for detention, the right to access legal counsel and the right to visitation.

El Salvador's president has maintained that the measure was needed to rein in rival gangs MS-13 and Barrio 18.

Human rights groups, meanwhile, have denounced the declared emergency, arguing that it has sparked widespread arbitrary arrests. The groups have repeatedly demanded that Bukele scrap the measure.

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Human rights organizations have recorded more than 6,000 complaints during the emergency declaration and documented the deaths of at least 575 people in government custody.

The potential release of thousands of prisoners, some argue, is not enough to repair the damage of their prolonged imprisonment.

"The victims of arbitrary detentions don’t just deserve to recover their freedom, but they also deserve to be compensated for the harms caused by the State of El Salvador: the physical and mental harm that imprisonment causes, family suffering, loss of work or studies, reputational damage, among others," exiled Salvadoran lawyer Bertha Deleón wrote on X.

Bukele dismissed widespread criticism from national and international human rights groups, suggesting that they should take the side of the victims of gang violence.

The president also defended the need to keep the state of emergency while also indicating his goal of ending it eventually.

El Salvador's homicide rate has fallen dramatically over the past decade, including during Bukele's presidency, according to government figures. The rate dropped from a peak of more than 100 murders per 100,000 residents in 2015, four years before Bukele took office, to 1.3 per 100,000 in 2025.

But the government has narrowed the definition of homicide to exclude killings by police, murders in prisons and bodies found in unmarked graves.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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