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Main events from January 25th

  • Hamas freed four female Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, but a dispute over the release of another captive – 29-year-old Arbel Yehud – prompted Israel to stop Palestinians in Gaza from returning to the north of the enclave.
  • Hamas accused Israel of delaying the implementation of the Gaza truce deal and Israeli forces shot at Palestinians trying to return to the north, killing at least one person and wounding two others.
  • The 200 Palestinian men freed on Saturday include 70 who were serving life sentences. The men, who are to be deported, have now arrived in Egypt and will be sent to countries such as Tunisia, Algeria and Turkiye.
  • The White House welcomed the exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, saying the United States “will continue with its great partner Israel, to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region”.
  • In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces continued a large-scale operation launched two days after the truce in Gaza, killing at least two Palestinians, including a two-year-old girl who was shot in the head in the city of Jenin.
  • Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day deadline stipulated in the ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, saying the Lebanese army was not upholding its side of the agreement.



US calls for continued implementation of Gaza truce deal

Here is what the office of the State Department spokesperson said:

“The United States celebrates the release of the four Israeli hostages held in captivity for 477 days. “It is critical that the ceasefire implementation continues and that all of the hostages are freed from Hamas captivity and safely returned to their families.

“We continue to mourn the innocent lives lost at the hands of Hamas terrorism since October 7, 2023.”



‘Why are hundreds of Palestinians not important?’

Sami Abu Shahadeh, a former member of the Israeli Knesset, told Al Jazeera that the US’s statement on the release of Israeli captives was incomplete as it does not mention the Palestinian prisoners who were also freed on Saturday.

“There was a ceasefire and the deal of releasing prisoners from both sides – not only four Israeli prisoners were released,” Abu Shahadeh said.

“Why did they celebrate only the four Israelis? What about the hundreds of Palestinians? Why are the hundreds of Palestinians not important?”

Abu Shahadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, added that the exchange on Saturday appeared to show Israeli captives had experienced better conditions than Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

“The whole world has seen on all the cameras that the basic human conditions of the Palestinian prisoners inside the enlightened Israeli prisons were much worse than those who were hostages in Hamas tunnels,” he said.


Palestinians gather to welcome Palestinian prisoners released as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, on Saturday

 

Last edited by SvennoJ - 2 days ago