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.
Iran is looking to turn its centuries-old tea culture into an opportunity for trade, industrial development and tourism as it held the Second Tea F...
Iran shot down a U.S. drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sunday (25 October), citing the cou...
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials repo...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Armenian authorities have detained 10 more people in a vote-buying investigation involving the opposition Strong Armenia party, just two days before local elections in the northern town of Stepanavan.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
Foreign ministers meeting in Istanbul on Friday warned that renewed military strikes on Iran could deepen the regional conflict, urging diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court has extended hearings in a case seeking to ban five opposition parties, with proceedings now set to continue until 30 October. The court in Batumi will resume hearings on Monday, 26 October, after missing its original 23 October deadline.
Pakistan and the European Union have agreed to step up counterterrorism cooperation as security concerns over Afghanistan grow and tensions between Islamabad and Kabul persist.
The head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says Armenia has effectively withdrawn from the military alliance, despite not formally ending its membership.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment