Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, during which they discussed various aspects of cooperation and joint efforts aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Archiv: Austausche (Personen / Inhaftierte / Geiseln / Leichen) / swaps (persons / prisoners / hostages / corpses)
Israeli Police Question Top Netanyahu Aide Over Leaked Document Case
(January 11, 2026)
In November 2024, the Israeli courts lifted a gag order and identified Mr. Feldstein, who was working as a military affairs spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, as one of the suspects in the case involving the stealing, illegal holding and leaking of a classified military document to a German newspaper, Bild.
Handwritten in Arabic, the document, obtained from Gaza, appeared to lay out Hamasâs plan for psychological warfare against Israel, claiming that Hamas was in no rush to reach a deal to release hostages or to end the war. Some of the messaging aligned with Mr. Netanyahuâs own approach.
Critics said the Bild article based on the leak appeared to be part of a deliberate effort by the prime minister or his loyalists to weaken the domestic campaign for the hostagesâ release and influence Israeli public opinion in favor of Mr. Netanyahuâs negotiating positions.
Only one deceased hostage remains in Gaza after Hamas returns another dead body
(December 6, 2025)
The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has so far held off major engagements despite multiple small skirmishes between the two sides, as the slow implementation of President Donald Trumpâs peace plan continues.
Legal team presents new evidence of torture of Palestinian prisoners to ICC
New evidence regarding the torture of Palestinian prisoners whose mutilated bodies were returned by Israel was presented at the International Criminal Court by a legal team representing the victims of the genocide in Gaza.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported that evidence regarding the targeting of journalists was added to the ongoing series of legal efforts to prosecute Israel in the International court since 2008.
According to the report, documented medical evidence was presented by doctors and forensic experts through detailed reports, photos, videos, and family testimonies.
Clear evidence of brutal torture: Condition of Palestinian bodies released from Israeli prisons demands urgent intâl investigation
(October 16, 2025)
Euro-Med Monitorâs field team monitored the Israeli authoritiesâ handover of the bodies of 120 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), delivered in three consecutive batches: 45 on Tuesday, 45 on Wednesday, and 30 on Thursday, including dozens of unidentified remains.
Medical examinations, forensic reports, and observations by the field team revealed conclusive evidence that many victims were killed after being detained. Their bodies bore clear marks of hanging, rope imprints around their necks, injuries from close-range gunfire, bound hands and feet with plastic restraints, and blindfolds. Some bodies were crushed under tank tracks, while others showed severe signs of physical torture, fractures, burns, and deep wounds.
Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said: âThe bodies we received were bound like animals, blindfolded, and bore horrific signs of torture and burns that reveal the extent of the crimes committed in secret. They did not die naturally; they were executed after being restrained. These people were not buried underground, they were kept in the occupationâs refrigerators for long months.â
Thousands of Israelis protest outside military headquarters in Tel Aviv
Around two thousand protesters rallied on the main street near the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, for the first time since the ceasefire agreement took effect.
The police forcefully removed a stand by „Looking the Occupation in the Eye,“ an activist group opposing Israel‘s occupation of the West Bank, Haaretz reported. The police claimed that the stand blocked the planned route of the march.
Palestinian families in Gaza buried 41 unidentified bodies on Monday handed over by Israel under the ceasefire agreement.
(video)
Forensic teams uncover signs of torture, decomposition on bodies returned by Israel
Forensic teams have reported horrific conditions endured by these Palestinians. Some of the bodies show visible signs of torture, while others have arrived in a decomposed state. This raises serious questions about the circumstances of their deaths, as Israel has not provided further details regarding their ages, names or how they died.
At the moment, the Health Ministry is continuing ground preparations, and it is possible the burials will take place in the city of Deir el-Balah.
Forensic tests confirm torture on bodies of 54 Palestinians returned by Israel, says Gaza officials
Gaza authorities condemned these acts, describing them as „horrific crimes,“ and called on international organisations to pursue justice. The statement urged global institutions to hold those responsible for these „massacres“ accountable under international law.
âPhysical and psychological torture was the highlight last two yearsâ : Mohammad Dahleh
Mohammad Dahleh, a human rights lawyer, says âthe motive for revengeâ among the Israeli society was strong after the October 7, 2023 attack, and the countryâs prison authority acted with the same motive towards inmates.
He said the Israeli prison system started beating and torturing prisoners right after the attack.
âThey also prevented prisoners from sleeping and worshipping,â Dahleh told Al Jazeera from the occupied East Jerusalem, adding that many prisoners were deprived of medical treatment, which led to deaths in jails.
What we know about the torture, abuse of Palestinian prisoners by Israel
Naji Abbas, director of the prisoners and detainees department for Physicians for Human Rights Israel, said his organisation was ânot surprisedâ at the condition of the bodies released.
âWe have recorded hundreds of instances of torture and deaths in the Israeli prison system, dozens of Palestinians who have been killed, beaten to death, or have died after being refused treatment for months,â Abbas said.
One autopsy the organisation examined showed signs of violence on the body eight months after the person died, he added.
âThese are documented cases of detaineesâ bodies with clear signs of torture and of having been brutally restrained before death, and still it is not on every television and in every newspaper,â Abbas said.
Palestinians celebrate as buses carrying prisoners arrive in Ramallah
Gathered in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Palestinians celebrate as buses carrying prisoners released from Israeli prison arrive.
LIVE: Palestinian prisoners released as part of ceasefire deal
After the release of some of its last surviving Israeli hostages, Israel will release 250 Palestinians serving long terms in Israeli prisons, and 1,700 others detained in Gaza during the war.
Israel names 13 captives just released from Gaza
Israelâs Foreign Ministry has named the 13 Israeli captives who were released:
– Elkana Bohbot, 36
– Rom Braslavski, 21
– Nimrod Cohen, 20
– Ariel Cunio, 28
– David Cunio, 35
– Evyatar David, 24
– Maxim Herkin, 37
– Eitan Horn, 38
– Segev Kalfon, 27
– Bar Kupershtein, 23
– Yosef Haim Ohana, 25
– Avinatan Or, 32
– Matan Zangauker, 25
Israeli army receives remaining 13 captives
The Israeli army has confirmed that it has received the remaining 13 captives released by Hamas.
Gaza: Hamas begins releasing Israeli hostages âą FRANCE 24 English
On Monday, Hamas first released seven surviving Israeli hostages, and a few hours later, a second group of thirteen, marking the start of a hostage-prisoner swap under the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump.
Red Cross receives second batch of 13 Israeli captives, local media reports
Israel‘s Channel 12 on Monday reported that 13 Israeli prisoners were released in the second batch and handed over to the International Red Cross in Gaza.
Seven Israeli hostages released to IDF, heading home after two years in captivity
Hamas handed over the seven, named as Matan Angrest, brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, Alon Ohel, Eitan Mor, Omri Miran, and Guy Gilboa-Dalal, to the Red Cross in Gaza City.
Live from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv | 20 Israeli Hostages Release | Israel Hamas Ceasefire | N18G
Live from Hostages Square in Tel Aviv
Released captives handed over to Israeli army
The seven Israeli captives released by Hamas have been received by the Israeli military, Al Jazeeraâs Nour Odeh is reporting from Amman, Jordan.
âThey have been in touch with their families. They are reported to be in reasonable condition, walking without needing medical assistance,â she added.
Reuters news agency also reported on the development, citing a military source.
Live: Freed Israeli hostages arrive at Reim military base
The IDF expects the 20 remaining live hostages held by Hamas to start arriving back into Israeli custody. If they are in stable condition, they will be transferred from Red Cross custody to the IDF special forces, then to the Reim base, before being moved to one of three hospitals.
LIVE: Hamas to release 20 Israeli hostages | REUTERS
A view of Khan Younis in Gaza ahead of the release of Israeli hostages. Israel expects the remaining hostages to begin returning, with 20 survivors to be released together, followed by the handover of 28 others â 26 dead and two whose fate is unknown.
Hamas releases seven captives to Red Cross in Gaza: Reports
The Reuters news agency says Hamas has handed over seven Israeli captives to the ICRC.
It cited an official involved in the operation.
Israelâs YNet and Hayom newspapers have also reported on the move.
US Jewish community leader lobbied for prominent Palestinian prisoner Barghoutiâs release
Some regional stakeholders have likened Barghouti to formerly imprisoned South African anti-apartheid activist-turned-president Nelson Mandela, and view him as a potential successor to Abbas due to his widespread appeal across various Palestinian factions.
While he has expressed support for âarmed resistanceâ against âthe Israeli occupationâ in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, he has also backed a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders and spoken out against targeting civilians inside Israel proper.
Israel rejects freeing from prison the most popular Palestinian leader
But some experts say Israel fears Barghouti for another reason: An advocate of a two-state solution even as he backed armed resistance to occupation, Barghouti could be a powerful rallying figure for Palestinians. Some Palestinians view him as their own Nelson Mandela, the South African anti-apartheid activist who became his countryâs first Black president.
Israeli media: Dr Hussam Abu Safiya to be freed only if release quota falls short
However, Israeli officials made changes to the list of Palestinian prisoners set to be released, with 1,718 Palestinian prisoners to be freed now, instead of the previously agreed-upon 1,722.
Al Jazeera quoted Hamas as saying that Marwan Barghouti and Ahmad Saadat are off the list of prisoners to be released.
Israeli media have also reported that „the government has approved the creation of a reserve list of five prisoners from Gaza, who will be released if changes are made.“
Hostage release process has begun, Red Cross says
âThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started a multi-phase operation to facilitate the release and transfer of hostages and detainees as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas,â it said.
Palestinian prisoners transferred to 2 Israeli prisons ahead of planned release under Gaza ceasefire deal
Under the deal, 2,000 Palestinian prisoners â including 250 serving life sentences and 1,700 detained in Gaza since the war began in October 2023 â will be released in exchange for 48 Israeli hostages.
Gaza ceasefire: families wait anxiously for hostages release
Hamas has until noon on Monday to hand them to the Red Cross.
Joint E3 leaders statement: 10 October 2025
We welcome the agreement on a ceasefire in the Middle East, the planned release of hostages, and the resumption of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza.
We pay tribute to President Trumpâs leadership on the issue, to the diplomatic efforts of the mediators, Egypt, Qatar and TĂŒrkiye, and to the vital support from the wider region to secure the agreement. It is now of utmost importance that all parties implement their obligations in full and without delay. We stand ready to support further talks on the next stages of the plan and to contribute to it.
As part of this effort, we agree that the UN Security Council should give its full backing to the plan and support its implementation.
We commit to supporting substantive humanitarian aid packages through UN agencies to be delivered as soon as the ceasefire enters into effect.
Israeli withdrawal in Gaza starts 72-hour clock for release of hostages
9 hr 27 min ago
Under the terms of the deal brokered by the US and other mediators, the redeployment means that over the next three days, and before the deadline of 12 p.m. local time on Monday, the hostages held by Hamas will be handed over, and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel will be freed.
I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.
This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!
DONALD J. TRUMP
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Gaza ceasefire deal: Hamas, Egypt and Qatar pushing for Marwan Barghouti‘s release
Egypt and Qatar, alongside Hamas, are using „all means available“ to secure the release of Marwan Barghouti as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between the group and Israel, three sources informed on the negotiations have told Middle East Eye.
The long-imprisoned Palestinian political leader is on a list âof around one hundred senior Palestinian prisonersâ being discussed ahead of the second phase of the truce deal, a source close to the negotiations said.
âMarwan alongside [a] few others are at the top of that list,â said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the details.
There have been very positive discussions with Hamas, and Countries from all over the World (Arab, Muslim, and everyone else) this weekend, to release the Hostages, end the War in Gaza but, more importantly, finally have long sought PEACE in the Middle East.
These talks have been very successful, and proceeding rapidly. The technical teams will again meet Monday, in Egypt, to work through and clarify the final details. I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST. I will continue to monitor this Centuries old âconflict.â TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE OR, MASSIVE BLOODSHED WILL FOLLOW â SOMETHING THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SEE!
Trump said to tell PM in tense phone call after Hamas responded to Gaza deal: âYouâre always so f*cking negative. This is a win.â
According to a US official, Netanyahu told Trump the ambivalent Hamas response was ânothing to celebrate.â
âI donât know why youâre always so fucking negative,â responded Trump, per the official. âThis is a win. Take it.â
Trump expected Hamas to reject the plan, and was pleasantly surprised by the terror groupâs response, says Axios.
âItâs now or neverâ: Trump shares photo of crowd at Hostages Square rally for Gaza deal
Trump noted the widespread support in Israel for a hostage deal that ends the war, demonstrating a level of familiarity with domestic Israeli politics that has led him to squeeze Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting his proposal, even though it places the premier at odds with his far-right coalition partners who want to continue the war and permanently occupy Gaza.
VIDEO: Israelis HALT Tel Aviv, Warns Netanyahu to End War | Hostage Families Say ‚It‘s Now or Never‘
Tensions are at a breaking point in Israel as thousands gather in Tel Avivâs Hostages Square, demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept Donald Trumpâs Gaza peace plan and end the war. Hostage families, holding banners reading âItâs Now or Never,â have issued an emotional plea to the Israeli gove ment to ensure that Trumpâs proposal is not sabotaged.