6 h. ago Israel delays release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners over ‘humiliating’ handover of hostages

Hamas accuses Netanyahu of ‘stalling’ release of Palestinian prisoners

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15 h. ago Hamas blasts Israel for delaying the release of Palestinian prisoners following latest twisted hostage release parade

Six Israelis, some of them dual nationals, were released earlier on Saturday - the last group of living hostages under the truce's first phase.

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20 h. ago Hamas hands over six hostages but Israel delays release of 600 Palestinians

Ceasefire in jeopardy as Israel waits for meeting of security cabinet under pressure from right-wingersMiddle East crisis – live updatesHamas released six Israeli hostages on Saturday, but Israel delayed the handover of more than 600 Palestinians it was due to free from its prisons in exchange, putting the five-week-old ceasefire agreement once more in jeopardy.The government said the release would be delayed until after a scheduled meeting of the security cabinet on Saturday evening at the earliest. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Hamas releases six hostages as Israel prepares to free hundreds of Palestinians

Hisham al-Sayed, Tal Shoham, Avera Mengistu, Eliya Cohen, Omer Shem Tov and Omer Wenkert have now been releasedA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

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24 h. ago Hamas frees five hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end

Militant group due to release one more hostage on Saturday as part of exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners

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24 h. ago Israeli hostage kisses his Hamas captive on the head as he and two other prisoners are handed over in highly emotional public ceremony

A traumatised Israeli hostage has today been seen kissing a Hamas fighter on the head as he and two other prisoners were handed over in an emotionally charged ceremony

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24 h. ago Three more Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be freed under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, over 600 Palestinians are due to be released from Israeli prisons

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26 h. ago Hamas frees two hostages as first phase of ceasefire nears end

Militant group due to release a further four hostages on Saturday as part of exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners

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26 h. ago Two Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be freed under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire, over 600 Palestinians are due to be released from Israeli prisons as well

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27 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas returned as Hamas begins release of six more hostages

Hamas says six captives to be freed from Gaza in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

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27 h. ago Hamas hands over first of six Israeli hostages during tense prisoner exchange

Hamas has today handed over two of six Israeli hostages due to be freed from the Gaza Strip, as the body of murdered mother-of-two Shiri Bibas was handed back to her grieving family

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27 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas handed over as Hamas begins release of six more hostages

Hamas says six captives to be freed from Gaza in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA masked militant has sat down at a table on the stage with a Red Cross representative and they appear to be signing documents.Live images from Rafah are showing masked Hamas fighters taking to the makeshift stage, with one speaking into a microphone. Continue reading...

Events

27 h. ago Six Israeli hostages released by Hamas as Israel to free Palestinian prisoners

The hostages are among the final living captives to be released under phase one of a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire

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28 h. ago Hamas set to release six Israeli hostages in return for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners

As preparations moved forward, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed revenge for 'a cruel and malicious violation' of the agreement centered on the wrong identification released by militants

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29 h. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel says body of Shiri Bibas handed over as Hamas prepares to release six more hostages

Hamas says six captives expected to be freed from Gaza on Saturday in swap for about 600 Palestinian prisoners and detaineesA convoy of Red Cross vehicles is now heading to a hostage handover site set up by Hamas in Rafah in southern Gaza, the Times of Israel is quoting an Israeli defense official as saying.The Red Cross is expected to receive two hostages there, the report says. According to Al Jazeera, hostages Tal Shoham and Avera Mengistu will be freed in Rafah. The other four — Omer Shem-Tov, Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert and Hisham al-Sayed — will be released later in central Gaza’s Nuseirat.On the stage prepared by Hamas in Rafah are the usual placards with messages including “We are the flood” as well as military weapons and equipment the group claims were stolen from the IDF on October 7 2023.One piece is a gun on which the group wrote “Ravshatz,” the Hebrew acronym for the head of a community’s local security team, indicating it was taken from such an individual killed by terr...

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4 d. ago Trump’s Gaza takeover won’t happen. But it has already changed the face of Israeli politics | Yair Wallach

The US president’s support for forcibly relocating Palestinians has laid the ground for Netanyahu’s ultimate fantasyWhen President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas last week to release all hostages by noon on 15 February, warning that otherwise “all hell [will] break loose”, the Israeli right was ecstatic. Here was a chance to finally move ahead with the complete occupation and annihilation of the Gaza Strip. The families of Israeli hostages were petrified about the prospect of the ceasefire collapsing, yet members of the ruling coalition called to kill the deal. “We have international support, give the order!” demanded the Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.But the order never came. Hamas abided by the agreement and freed three hostages; Israel then released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Trump shrugged and said that it was Israel’s decision. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, who visited Israel on Sunday, signalled that the direction of travel is not towards resuming h...

Politics

4 d. ago Fist pumps and smirks: Hundreds of prisoners are released early as Scotland follows England with mass release of dangerous inmates in bid to tackle jail overcrowding

Prisoners offered fist pumps and smiles for waiting TV cameras as they emerged from HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow after being freed under the Scottish government's early release scheme.

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4 d. ago Middle East crisis live: Hamas says it will return bodies of four Israelis on Thursday and release six living hostages on Saturday

Militant group will release hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners as Israel confirms it will begin negotiations on second phase of ceasefire dealGeneva Abdul is a reporter for the GuardianMore than 200 organisations worldwide have called on nations involved in producing F-35 fighter jets to “immediately halt all arms transfers to Israel” amid fears they have failed to prevent the planes from being used to violate international law. Continue reading...

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5 d. ago Victims of hundreds of prisoners released early in Scotland can check if they are affected

The charity Victim Support Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service have jointly urged victims of crime to if they will be affected by a prisoner release.

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5 d. ago Prisoners in Scotland to be released today as hundreds to be freed early over next 6 weeks

Prisoners are set to be released as early as today as First Minister John Swinney looks to free up space in the prison system.

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