Monday, January 20, 2025
06:23 GMT — Israel releases 90 Palestinian prisoners in first exchange
The Israel Prison Service said it had completed the release of 90 Palestinian prisoners, part of a Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect a day earlier.
All prisoners "were released from Ofer prison and the Jerusalem detention centre", the service said in a statement issued just before 1:30 am.
A large bus carrying dozens of the detainees, all women or minors, exited the gates of Ofer prison, just outside the West Bank city of Ramallah.
05:44 GMT — Israel's inability to achieve its goals forced it to seek concessions: Hamas
Israel's failure to achieve its military objectives forced it to seek concessions at the negotiation table, said Mohammad Nazzal, a senior member of Hamas' political bureau.
"Israel aimed to rescue (its) hostages, dismantle the resistance — particularly Hamas — and fully occupy Gaza. None of these objectives were achieved," Nazzal said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.
"They couldn't free their captives through military operations and had to resort to negotiations. At this point, hostages can only be freed through the ceasefire agreement," he said.
05:22 GMT — Palestinians welcome return of freed prisoners in occupied West Bank
Massive crowds gathered in the occupied West Bank town of Beitunia have cheered as they welcomed the return of freed Palestinians from Israeli jail.
04:54 GMT — Palestine Monetary Authority directs banks to resume services in Gaza
The Palestine Monetary Authority instructed banks to prepare their branches for the resumption of services in besieged Gaza as a ceasefire came into effect.
The monetary authority said in a statement that its governor, Yahya Al Shunnar, met with representatives of banks operating in Palestine.
The statement added that the meeting discussed "the measures required to resume banking services for the people in Gaza."
04:23 GMT — WHO says restoring Gaza health system 'complex'
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that restoring the health system in besieged Gaza will be a "complex and challenging task" after Israel's carnage in the blockaded enclave.
03:46 GMT — Israeli settlers attack West Bank to disrupt celebrations
Illegal Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank ostensibly to disrupt celebrations in several towns over the expected release of 90 Palestinian prisoners under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The illegal settlers attacked the northern outskirts of the town, setting fire to four Palestinian vehicles, and pelting stones at four houses, eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency.
The eyewitnesses added that "the town's residents gathered to repel the settlers' assault without any intervention from the army and without any reported injuries."
03:20 GMT — Al Qassam Brigades reaffirms commitment to Gaza ceasefire
Al Qassam Brigades said that the "Al Aqsa Flood Operation" against Israel "has changed the dynamics," reaffirming its commitment to the ceasefire agreement that went into effect earlier in the day.
In a recorded video message shared on its Telegram channel, the brigades' spokesperson, Abu Obaida, declared: "We, along with the resistance factions, announce our commitment to the ceasefire agreement and our readiness to implement its terms and adhere to its conditions, including halting combat, complying with the timeline for the exchange process, and ensuring the safety of (Israeli) enemy captives until their handover in exchange for our people's prisoners at all stages of the deal."
However, it all depends "on the enemy's commitment," Abu Obaida said.
02:40 GMT — Three captives released from Gaza in stable condition: hospital
The three women captives released from Gaza were in a stable condition, said a doctor at the hospital they were taken to.
"I'm happy to report that they are in stable condition. That allows us and them to focus on what is the most important thing for now... reuniting with their families", Itai Pessach, a doctor at the Sheba Hospital in central Israel, told journalists.
02:33 GMT — Israel kills Palestinian child in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian child in the occupied West Bank in Nablus, the Palestinian news Agency WAFA reported.
The 15-year-old child was shot in the chest with live bullets during a raid in the town, the agency said, citing The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS).
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was announced dead of his wounds by the Ministry of Health.
02:00 GMT — Crowds wait into the night for Palestinian prisoner release
Standing around fires, crowds braved the cold along the route where Palestinian prisoners are to be released from Israeli prisons as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal.
Hundreds gathered on a hill in the usually quiet suburb of Beitunia, whose location offers a view of Israel's Ofer prison, on the other side of the separation wall.
On the occupied West Bank side, throngs arrived to witness the first release of hundreds of Palestinians in exchange for three Israeli hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
For our live updates from Sunday, January 19, 2025, click here.
