Saturday, February 8, 2025
11:30 GMT — A bus carrying a group of Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons arrived in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah under a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
According to an Anadolu Agency reporter, some 42 prisoners were aboard the Red Cross bus, who were greeted by a cheering crowd who gathered since early morning to welcome the freed detainees.
The detainees were set free from the Ofer military prison near Ramallah under the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal that took effect on January 19.
Israel is set to free 183 prisoners on Saturday in swap for three Israeli captives released by Hamas early in the day.
Sixteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have so far been released under the Gaza ceasefire in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
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10:11 GMT — Israeli army withdraws from occupied West Bank town after week-long assault
The Israeli army withdrew from the occupied West Bank town of Tammun after a week-long incursion, a local official has said.
"The army withdrew its forces suddenly and quickly, and evacuated all the houses that it had turned into military barracks after expelling their inhabitants," Tammun Mayor Najeh Bani Odeh said.
He said the Israeli forces have left a trail of destruction after its military offensives in the town.
10:09 GMT — Gaza death toll nears 48,200 as more bodies found in rubble
Palestinian medics and rescue teams have recovered 22 more bodies from the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 48,181, the Health Ministry has said.
Earlier, the figure was revised by officials to nearly 62,000, having added thousands who are missing and are now presumed dead.
A ministry statement said that the toll included four Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the last 48 hours.
According to the ministry, five injured people were also admitted to hospitals, taking the number of the injured to 111,638 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the ministry said.
09:17 GMT — Hamas hands three Israeli captives to Red Cross in 5th swap
Hamas has handed over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in central Gaza's Deir al Balah, live television showed.
The resistance group released Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy in the fifth prisoner-captive swap under a ceasefire deal with Israel.
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08:38 GMT — Two children killed in wall collapse in Gaza City after Israeli strike
Two Palestinian girls have been killed in the collapse of a concrete wall of a house struck by Israeli warplanes in Gaza City, local authorities have said.
Another child was injured in the collapse that took place as the children were playing near the house, Salama Marouf, who heads the media government office in Gaza, added on his X account.
"To stop the martyrs' death toll, it is crucial to expedite the entry of heavy machinery and equipment, provide fuel, and allow specialized technical teams to access the rubble and debris to assess partially destroyed homes," Marouf said.
08:28 GMT — Release of 183 Palestinian prisoners begins
Procedures for the release of 183 Palestinian prisoners from Ofer, Negev prisons begin as they board buses, Israeli media has reported.
08:03 GMT — Red Cross team en route to collect Israeli captives in Gaza
A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza are on the way to collect Israeli captives from Hamas, an official involved in the operation has said.
07:51 GMT — Israeli army raids homes of Palestinian detainees’ families ahead of their release
The Israeli army has launched a series of raids across the occupied West Bank targeting the homes of Palestinian detainees set to be released as part of the ongoing prisoner exchange deal under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces stormed multiple homes, ransacked belongings, and issued warnings to families against celebrating their loved ones' release.
One of the targeted homes was that of senior Hamas leader Jamal Al-Tawil in Al-Bireh, where Israeli soldiers threatened his family with arrest if they held any celebrations.
06:49 GMT — Hamas prepares for 5th prisoner swap under ceasefire deal with Israel
Hamas’ armed wing, Qassam Brigades, has started preparations ahead of the fifth prisoner exchange with Israel as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.
According to an Anadolu correspondent, members of Qassam Brigades have been deployed in Deir al Balah in central Gaza in preparation for the handover of Israeli hostages to the International Red Cross Committee.
04:00 GMT — Israel to release 183 Palestinians; Hamas to free three Israelis
Hamas has named three Israeli captives set for release today in exchange for 183 Palestinian prisoners under the ceasefire deal.
The latest exchange follows official statements in which authorities in Gaza accuse Israel of blocking humanitarian aid and essential supplies from entering the territory.
