On Saturday, February 1, as part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, a bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israel's Ofer Prison departed from the occupied West Bank. According to Hamas, Israel was to release a total of 182 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
In return, the Palestinian militant group Hamas released three Israeli hostages on Saturday morning. The hostage-prisoner exchange is part of negotiations aimed at ending the 15-month-long war in Gaza.
In the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, 15 out of a total of 33 Israeli hostages have been released in exchange for 400 Palestinian prisoners. In the second phase of the agreement, negotiations are set to begin by next Tuesday regarding the release of more than 60 remaining Israeli hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Prisoner Exchange Process Watched on Large Screens in Tel Aviv
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday to watch the prisoner exchange process broadcast on large screens by local television channels. The event has garnered significant interest in both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Hamas' armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, handed over two Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Saturday. The released hostages were Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas. A third hostage, U.S. citizen Keith Samuel Siegel, was later handed over to the Red Cross at Gaza City’s port.
Handover Carried Out Under Strict Security Measures
The handover process took place in the presence of a large number of Palestinians. Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades were deployed in the area to oversee the exchange. Red Cross vehicles, which arrived in Khan Younis and Gaza City earlier in the day, facilitated the successful completion of the swap.
The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that two Israeli hostages were on their way to Israel. Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas were transported by helicopter to the Tel HaShomer Medical Center in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, on Saturday.
Israeli Security Measures and Warnings
Amid the prisoner exchange, the Israeli army prepared for an operation in the town of Beitunia near Ramallah on Saturday. At the time, a Red Cross convoy carrying released Palestinian detainees was passing through the area. The Israeli army dropped warning leaflets via drones, urging people not to celebrate the release of Palestinian prisoners.
This prisoner exchange is being conducted under international mediation efforts and is considered a significant step towards influencing the peace process in the region.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) has announced the death of senior Hamas commander Muhammad Sinwar. His body was reportedly identified on June 8th among five others found in a tunnel complex near the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
Israel’s military says it has identified the body of top Hamas commander Mohammed Sinwar beneath a hospital in southern Gaza.
The United Nations Security Council is likely to vote on Wednesday, June 4, on a draft resolution calling for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to diplomats.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, criticized Hamas’s response to Washington’s latest ceasefire proposal, calling it “completely unacceptable” and a step backward.
Hamas said on Saturday it had officially responded to a ceasefire plan put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who represents President Donald Trump in Middle East diplomacy. The group said its reply includes a key demand: a complete end to the war.
China hosted defence chiefs from SCO member states in Qingdao, with calls to boost cooperation as global instability rises and conflicts persist in the Middle East.
Australia will not raise its defence spending targets despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, choosing instead to follow its own military strategy, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday.
South Korea and NATO have agreed to set up a new consultative body focused on defence industry cooperation, aiming to deepen collaboration through joint development and procurement initiatives.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Kazakhstan's e-commerce sector has soared to 3.2 trillion tenge (around 6.2 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024, marking a sevenfold increase since 2020, according to Deputy Prime Minister Serik Jumanğarin.
Russia has expressed its readiness to support the signing of a peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia to ensure regional stability and security.
Masked law enforcement officers have detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the 'Sacred Struggle' movement in Armenia. He is accused of preparing terrorist attacks and an alleged attempt to seize power, according to the Investigative Committee.
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has announced a major reform initiative aimed at strengthening national sovereignty in the country’s space sector.
An explosive device detonated on an armoured combat-engineering vehicle in Khan Younis in Gaza, killing seven Israeli soldiers and seriously wounding another soldier on Tuesday (24 June).
China hosted defence chiefs from SCO member states in Qingdao, with calls to boost cooperation as global instability rises and conflicts persist in the Middle East.
Australia will not raise its defence spending targets despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, choosing instead to follow its own military strategy, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday.
South Korea and NATO have agreed to set up a new consultative body focused on defence industry cooperation, aiming to deepen collaboration through joint development and procurement initiatives.
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