News Archives - Page 162 of 379

Israel Frees 32 Palestinian Prisoners

CrossFireArabia
February 1, 2025

Thirty-two Palestinians were released from Israeli jails on Saturday as part of the fourth batch of the prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

The freed prisoners were handed over to the International Red Cross from the Ofer Prison facility near Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, in line with the terms of the cease-fire and prisoner swap deal that took effect on Jan. 19.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the Ramallah Cultural Palace to welcome the freed prisoners, waving Palestinian flags and chanting in support of the Palestinian resistance and Gaza.

Despite earlier warnings by the Israeli army, the crowd gathered to receive the prisoners, who raised victory signs in defiance of Israeli orders.

Many of the released prisoners appeared in poor health, with some barely able to walk. They were taken to hospitals in Ramallah for medical checks and treatment, the Anadolu correspondent added.

Commenting on the freed Palestinians’ poor health, the Hamas group said this confirms “the brutality” of what Palestinians prisoners endure in Israeli jails.

Hamas described these violations as “war crimes and crimes against humanity that require immediate intervention by the international community, the UN and the rights’ group.”

Meanwhile, the International Red Cross staff were ‘angry’ over the way Israel released the Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as they were led out in shackles with their hands behind their heads, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Earlier, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released three captives from Gaza and handed them over to the Red Cross.

A total of 183 Palestinians are expected to be released Saturday from Israeli jails, including 111 who were arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Hamas-run Prisoners’ Information Office.

News

Hamas Releases Three Israeli Hostages

CrossFireArabia
February 1, 2025

Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, Saturday handed over three Israeli hostages in two locations in the Gaza Strip to the International Committee of the Red Cross as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, two Israeli hostages – Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas – were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

GAZA EXCHANGE: Today Hamas has handed over 3 Israeli hostages in Gaza to Red Cross, two are U.S. citizens.

Waving to the crowds, Ofer Calderon and Yarden Bibas – were handed over to the Red Cross in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The third Israeli captive, Samuel Siegel, who… pic.twitter.com/zJEm76qOWj
— 5Pillars (@5Pillarsuk) February 1, 2025

The third Israeli captive, Samuel Siegel, who also holds US citizenship, was handed over to representatives of the Red Cross in the Gaza City seaport by the Al-Qassam Brigades.

The Palestinian group confirmed handing over the three Israeli captives, including a US-Israeli dual national, in Gaza in exchange for the release of a new batch of the “heroic prisoners from occupation’s prisons.”

Hamas also said that despite harsh conditions in Gaza, the Al-Qassam Brigades offered required health care to captives.

Separately, the Israeli army confirmed that the three hostages were handed over to the army by the Red Cross, and were taken to Israel.

Keith Samuel Siegel is finally free!

We never gave up on Keith! pic.twitter.com/Cg90Z0lZRn
— Censored Voice (@MyCensoredVoice) February 1, 2025

According to an Anadolu correspondent, the transfer took place amid significant presence of Palestinians.

Members of Al-Qassam Brigades were also heavily deployed in the area to oversee the transfer, the correspondent added.

The Red Cross vehicles, which arrived in Khan Younis and Gaza City earlier in the day, facilitated the handover as per the terms agreed for today’s exchange.

This marks the latest stage in the multi-phase swap deal between Hamas and Israel which has seen the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages and soldiers.

The exchange process has been taking place under international mediation efforts.

Following their release, the Israeli side is expected to release later in the day 183 Palestinians from Israeli jails, including 111 arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023, according to an earlier statement by the Hamas-run Prisoners’ Information Office.

News

Israeli Troops Raid Wedding in Hebron, Arrest Groom

CrossFireArabia
February 1, 2025

Israeli soldiers raided a Palestinian wedding ceremony, Friday, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and detained the groom and other guests.

The arrests are trending on the social media with much images and commentary from news websites other bloggers.

According to witnesses the groom and the other guests were detained for an hour before they were released according to Anadolu.

Zionists detained a Palestinian groom during a raid on a wedding venue in Hebron, located in the occupied West Bank.

The occupation forces timed the arrest/kidnapping deliberately to inflict maximum suffering on the groom's family and friends.

The sickness of Zionism. pic.twitter.com/l39b0cg0v0
— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) February 1, 2025

One blogger said the Israeli army stormed the “wedding in Hebron and abducted the groom while he was next to his bride. What was supposed to be the happiest moment for the couple turned into their worst because of Israel.”

The Israeli forces raided the Abu Turki family celebration at the Sofia Hall in the Umm al-Dalia area in the center of Hebron and took the men for questioning and forcing them to raise their hands.

Witnesses said the Israeli troops vandalized some of the cars of the guests with the reasons remaining unclear of why they wanted to raid the wedding party.

Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the escalation in the West Bank because of threats from right-wing parties to bring down his government over the ceasefire, which they oppose according to the Turkish news agency.

News

Thousands of Egyptians at Rafah Border Protest Trump’s Proposal

CrossFireArabia
January 31, 2025

Thousands of Egyptians gathered in front of the Rafah border crossing on Friday to protest US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians in other countries, Egyptian media reported.

Crowds from other Egyptian governorates flocked to the border to protest Trump’s remarks about Palestinian displacement last week, which were also dismissed by several European and Arab countries.

Before Friday’s rally at the Rafah border, according to social media footage, several Egyptian governorates, including Beheira, Kafr el Sheikh, Gharbia, Ismailia, Sharqia, Qalyubia, and Beni Suef, held public protests Thursday evening against the displacement of Palestinians.

Egyptian media outlets broadcast footage of “rare” demonstrations as thousands of Egyptians gather at the Rafah border crossing to protest what they call “Trump’s plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians.”pic.twitter.com/xNCS8eoKGT
— Mohamed shohood (@Mshohood) January 31, 2025

According to an Anadolu correspondent, this is the first rally at the Rafah border since Trump proposed on Jan. 25 to simply “clean out” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in Jordan and Egypt, describing the coastal enclave as a “demolition site” following Israel’s genocidal war.

While Egyptian responses have avoided directly addressing Trump, officials have consistently condemned any attempt to expel Palestinians from their homeland.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday condemning the plan, which was followed by comments from Parliament Speaker Hanafy Jebali on Monday and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared on Wednesday that his country will not participate in any forced displacement of Palestinians, calling it an “act of injustice we cannot tolerate,” and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a two-state solution.

Many countries, including Jordan, Iraq, France, and Germany, as well as organizations like the League of Arab States, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, and the UN, have strongly opposed the resettlement plan.

Trump’s proposal came after a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

No Victory For Israel in Gaza

CrossFireArabia
January 31, 2025

Ruvik Rosenthal in Haaretz: The Israeli occupation has failed to achieve its war goals, losing both the war and global public support. Despite destroying land and killing tens of thousands, the occupation is still losing. #Israel #Gazaceasefire #Trump

He write in a column the Israeli daily newspaper that none of the war’s goals were achieved. Hamas was not “destroyed”, but its ranks were replenished, the residents of Gaza went nowhere. There is no security for the Israeli residents of the envelope (areas sorrounding Gaza) who have not yet returned to their destroyed homes, and dozens of kidnapped soldiers have not yet returned from captivity.

He added we lost years of the world’s sympathy for us, the country’s economy entered at least a decade of stagnation, the army was eroded, and the circles of physical and psychological rehabilitation expanded and reached every home in Israel.

Rosenthal continued there is no image of victory. There are no “fruits” of victory. But if we cannot enjoy the fruits of victory, perhaps this is the time to enjoy the fruits of loss. The fruits of loss are the fruits of awareness, the fruits of the difficult realization that war is not a possible way of life for a people who want to live. The fruits of loss are the transition from the bloody battlefield and back to the family of peoples, to international agreements, to the Abraham Accords.