Khan Younis Archives - Page 7 of 14

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

Added Misery: Heavy Rains Wash Away 1500 Tents in Gaza

CrossFireArabia
January 1, 2025

Heavy rains have inundated over 1,542 tents housing displaced civilians in the Gaza Strip in the past two days amid Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave, the Civil Defense Service said on Wednesday.

“Hundreds of tents were flooded with rainwater at a level exceeding 30 centimeters,” the agency said in a statement.

“Many people were reported to be shivering from the cold as their belongings were damaged by the rainwater,” it added.

The Civil Defense has announced that 1,500 tents have been flooded, which means 1,500 families are affected as a result of the rain.

If the bombs don’t kill them, the cold weather eventually will…pic.twitter.com/JG1sNhg3Yy
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) January 1, 2025

The service said torrential rains have swept away 497 tents in Gaza City, 210 in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, 170 in Rafah and 665 in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

The Gaza Strip has been hit by a cold wave and torrential rains since Sunday, bringing more misery to the territory’s 2.3 million population.

Local health authorities said Monday that at least seven people, including six babies, froze to death due to the winter cold in the enclave, according to Anadolu.

The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed over 45,500 victims, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, reducing the enclave to rubble.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants 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.

'We plead for someone to save us from this war' – distraught Palestinian woman exclaims

The Civil Defense in Gaza reports that over 1,542 tents sheltering displaced people are flooded by heavy rainwater over the past two days. Families have no alternative shelter pic.twitter.com/8J2AvqDCGK
— RT (@RT_com) January 1, 2025

News

Gaza Tragedies

CrossFireArabia
December 24, 2024

Activist Anas Samhan writes a reflection on the relentless tragedies of war, encapsulating the unyielding suffering endured by countless displaced people in the Gaza Strip. He paints a harrowing picture of destruction, hunger, killing, and hard conditions of seasons. Samhan’s words underscore the diverse, unimaginable ways people face death in such circumstances.

News

Israel Kills Journalist No. 197 in Gaza

CrossFireArabia
December 22, 2024

Israeli forces attacked the house of journalist Hazem Abu Arqoub near the Bilal Mosque in Central Khan Younis, killing him and his wife.

The killing of Abu Arqoub has raised the death toll of Gazan journalists since the start of the war to 197, according to Gaza Government Media Office.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least six Palestinian journalists have been killed in less than a month due to the relentless Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Earlier today, the Israeli military targeted the house of journalist Hazem Abu Arqoub near… pic.twitter.com/10tkLuwJ2k
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 22, 2024

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least six Palestinian journalists have been killed in less than a month due to the relentless Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

News

Gaza: Israeli Army, Strewn Bodies and Stray Dogs

CrossFireArabia
December 21, 2024

Gaza’s Civil Defense reported, Saturday, Israeli forces are killing Palestinians and leaving their bodies in the streets where stray dogs are feeding on them as a clear violation of international law.

In a statement, the Civil Defense explained Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted rescue teams and ambulances, specifically when they attempt to approach the bodies of those killed.

It emphasized that Israel has also obstructed efforts to recover the bodies of thousands of Palestinians who have died under the rubble of homes destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.

It added that it had found several Palestinian bodies that had been reduced to skeletons according to Anadolu.

In other instances, it described seeing stray dogs feeding on the bodies in several neighborhoods, including Zeitoun, Shujaiya, Tel al-Hawa, the Jabalia area, Tal al-Zaatar, Beit Hanoun, and parts of the eastern areas of Khan Younis and Rafah.

Stressing that these actions by Israel constitute violations of the Geneva Conventions, it called on the signatory countries to “take immediate action to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law.”

They urged the international community, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to “pressure Israel to follow proper protocols for handling the bodies of the deceased during wartime.”

Israel leaves Palestinian bodies for stray dogs: Gaza Civil Defense pic.twitter.com/5X4Pf9nmVo
— Yeni Şafak English (@yenisafakEN) December 21, 2024

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,200 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month 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 Gaza.