BRINK OF COLLAPSE
Hamas and Israel are implementing the primary, 42-day part of the ceasefire that almost collapsed final week.
Israel had warned Hamas it should free three residing hostages by the weekend or face a renewed offensive after the militant group mentioned it could pause releases over what it described as Israeli truce violations.
Netanyahu credited “President Trump’s agency stance” with making certain Saturday’s releases went forward.
The freed hostages – Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen, 36, Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, 29, and Israeli-Argentine Yair Horn, 46 – returned to emotional reunions with their households.
Flanked by Hamas fighters, they carried present luggage from their captors and urged additional exchanges.
In a video launched by the Israeli authorities, Dekel-Chen’s spouse, Avital, informed him the title of their daughter who had been born two months after his abduction in Oct 2023.
“That is excellent,” the 36-year-old replied.
Israel freed 369 Palestinian prisoners, principally Gazans detained through the warfare, however some have been serving life sentences for assaults on Israelis.
Footage aired by Israeli media confirmed Palestinian prisoners in sweatshirts bearing a Star of David and the slogan: “We won’t neglect and we won’t forgive”.
They tore them off upon reaching Gaza and burned them in a bonfire on the reception level in Khan Yunis.
Ibrahim, 61, a freed prisoner who declined to present his full title, mentioned he was shocked by Gaza’s devastation.
Arrested in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, he mentioned he nonetheless didn’t know why he had been jailed for 9 months.
Because the truce started final month, 19 Israeli hostages have been launched in alternate for greater than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Out of 251 individuals seized in Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel that sparked the warfare, 70 stay in Gaza, together with 35 the Israeli army says are lifeless.
