DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd. Israel was set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees later in the day as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
In Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a big screen showed the faces of the four female soldiers expected to be released. Some in the growing crowd wore Israeli flags, others held posters with the hostages' faces. When the ceasefire started Sunday, three hostages held by the militants were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children. On Saturday, four hostages are expected to be freed for 200 prisoners, including 120 who are serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks on Israelis. They will likely be released into Gaza or sent abroad.
Israel's military issued a statement Saturday morning saying that preparations had been completed to receive the hostages and provide them medical care and personal support at the initial reception points, then transfer them to hospitals and reunite them with their families. Children ran alongside the militants’ vehicles as celebratory gunfire rang out, he said in a telephone interview.After the swap, Israel is expected to begin pulling back from the Netzarim corridor — an east-west road dividing Gaza in two — and allowing displaced Palestinians in the south to return to their former homes in the north for the first time since the beginning of the war.
In a statement Saturday, the ministry, which oversees police forces, said Palestinians will be able to move between southern and northern Gaza on foot through the coastal Rashid road.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli airstrike kills 8 in Gaza, officials say, after Hamas delayed start of ceasefireDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight people in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire was delayed.
Read more »
Israeli airstrike kills 8 in Gaza, officials say, after Hamas delayed start of ceasefireDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike killed at least eight people in the Gaza Strip after the ceasefire was delayed.
Read more »
Israeli military confirms identity of Israeli hostage killed in GazaThe family of Hamza Ziyadne, an Israeli Bedouin taken hostage by Hamas-led fighters alongside his father, had been notified of his death following the conclusion of forensic tests, the Israeli military said
Read more »
Three Israeli hostages are with Israeli forces in Gaza as ceasefire passes first hurdleThe first three hostages set to be released from Gaza were transferred to Israeli forces, the military announced Sunday, hours after the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold. Israeli media, carrying live footage from Qatar-based Al Jazeera, showed the hostages walking to Red Cross vehicles as their convoy moved through Gaza City.
Read more »
Houthi Rebels Limit Red Sea Attacks to Israeli Ships After Gaza CeasefireYemen's Houthi rebels announced they will now restrict their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships following a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. However, they warned that wider assaults could resume if necessary. The announcement, sent to shipping companies and others, may not be enough to encourage global firms to return to the vital route.
Read more »
Israeli Airstrikes Kill at Least 15 in Gaza as Ceasefire Talks ContinueIsraeli airstrikes killed at least 15 people, including a child, in southern Gaza early Saturday, prompting renewed ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. Hospital staff reported the fatalities from strikes targeting a car, a house, and people on the street in Khan Younis. Israel's military claimed the strikes targeted Hamas militants in southern and central Gaza, while Hamas fired a projectile near the Erez crossing. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 59 deaths and over 270 injuries in the past 24 hours. While details of the Qatar talks remain undisclosed, Hamas confirmed their resumption and pledged commitment to an agreement, urging against misinformation. Israel, however, continues its offensive with Prime Minister Netanyahu vowing to eliminate Hamas, while Hamas fighters regroup in areas where Israeli forces withdraw.
Read more »