Israël

70 Freed and 'Deported' Palestinian Prisoners Reach Egypt

Seventy Palestinian prisoners arrived aboard buses in Egypt Saturday after being released from Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, state-linked Egyptian media reported. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the prisoners were those "deported" by Israel, adding they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for ...

Israel Blocks Gazans' Return to Territory's North Unless Civilian Woman Hostage Freed

Israel said on Saturday it would block the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza until civilian woman hostage Arbel Yehud is released. "Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the northern part of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged," Prime ...

New Prisoner Exchange Between Hamas and Israel

As part of the truce agreement, four Israeli female hostages were released on Saturday morning in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. This first phase of the truce calls for the gradual release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli Army Advances in South Lebanon as Ceasefire Agreement Ends

As the 60-day ceasefire agreement reaches its conclusion, the Israeli army has advanced in several areas of southern Lebanon, despite the agreement’s stipulation for a full withdrawal. Early reports indicate incursions in more than five locations, including Markaba-Tallouseh, Hula-Wadi slouki, and the heights of Kfarchouba. A reinforced ...

South Lebanon: Israel to Remain Temporarily in Five Locations

Tel Aviv announced on Friday that its army will not withdraw completely from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon when the 60-day ceasefire agreement expires on Monday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the phased withdrawal process would continue after January 27, “in agreement with the United States.” According ...

New Exchange Expected On Saturday Between Israeli Hostages In Gaza And Palestinian Detainees

On Saturday, Hamas is due to free four Israeli soldiers, held hostage in Gaza since 7 October 2023, in exchange for several dozen Palestinians detained in Israel, in the second exchange of this type under the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip. Nearly a week after the ceasefire came into force, which was generally respected, the Palestinian ...

Israel Asks Unrwa To Leave Jerusalem by 30 January (Letter To The UN)

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) must cease its operations in Jerusalem and vacate all the buildings it uses by 30 January, the Israeli ambassador to the UN wrote in a letter to the Secretary-General on Friday. ‘In accordance with applicable Israeli law (...), Unrwa must cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate all the ...

Egypt And Israel Exempt From a Near-Total Freeze On US Foreign Aid

The United States has frozen its foreign aid, with the exception of that provided to Egypt and Israel, as well as emergency food aid, while it carries out a complete review to see whether it is in line with the policy that Donald Trump intends to pursue. ‘No new funds will be committed (...) until every proposed new allocation or extension has ...

UAE Announces Reopening of Embassy in Beirut

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Friday that it has reopened its embassy in Lebanon, years after it was closed in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. According to state news agency WAM, the Emirati embassy in Beirut "has officially resumed diplomatic activities." Omar Obaid al-Shamsi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ...

Hamas to Free Four Israeli Female Soldiers on Saturday

Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, has confirmed plans to release four Israeli female soldiers on Saturday, as part of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire agreement. The announcement came on Friday, with Israel quickly acknowledging the names of the hostages, all of whom are aged 19 to 20. The four women are identified as Karina Ariev, ...

Netanyahu: Israel Will not Fully Withdraw Troops From Lebanon Before Sunday

Israel announced on Friday that the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon would continue beyond the 60-day period stipulated in a November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that the ceasefire agreement had been drafted "with the understanding that the withdrawal process might extend ...

Mine Clearance in Lebanon: When Will Displaced Families Return South?

Haunted by thousands of landmines and unexploded ammunition, Lebanon faces a significant challenge: clearing a territory scarred by decades of conflict, the most recent being the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel. Triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Tel Aviv, the conflict spilled over into Lebanon under the banner of ...