A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas narrowly avoided collapse on Saturday as three Israeli hostages were released in Gaza. In exchange, Israel began freeing 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, marking another significant development in the ongoing conflict.

Hostages Released in Gaza

The three freed Israelis—Iair Horn (46), Sagui Dekel Chen (36), and Sasha (Alexander) Troufanov—were handed over by Hamas in Khan Younis, where they were seen standing on a stage flanked by armed militants. Shortly after, Israeli forces transported them to safety.

Celebrations and Emotional Reunions

As the first bus carrying Palestinian prisoners left Israel’s Ofer jail in the West Bank, cheers erupted in Ramallah, where supporters waved Palestinian flags. Among the released prisoners was Musa Nawarwa (70) from Bethlehem, a former Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades commander, who expressed his surprise at being freed:
“We didn’t expect to be freed, but God is great, God set us free.”

Back in Israel, the hostage release sparked an outpouring of emotion. In Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square, people broke into cheers and tears upon learning that the Red Cross was escorting the freed Israelis to safety. Residents near the Gaza border lined the roads, waving Israeli flags as the hostages were driven out of Gaza.

Personal Stories of the Hostages

• Iair Horn was kidnapped alongside his younger brother Eitan from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. His family expressed relief but emphasized that their ordeal was not over:
  “Now, we can breathe a little. But our family won’t truly breathe until Eitan is home.”
• Sagui Dekel Chen, a U.S.-Israeli citizen, was abducted while fighting off Hamas attackers to protect his pregnant wife and two young daughters. His release means he will meet his newborn daughter for the first time.
• Sasha Troufanov, a Russian-Israeli, was kidnapped along with his mother, grandmother, and girlfriend—all of whom were released in November 2023. His father was killed in the October 7 attack on Nir Oz, one of the hardest-hit Israeli communities.

Palestinian Prisoner Release and Exchange Deal

The release of these three Israelis comes as part of a deal brokered to maintain a fragile ceasefire. Hamas had earlier threatened to halt hostage releases, accusing Israel of violating the truce, while Israel warned of renewed military action if the agreement collapsed.

So far, 19 Israeli and 5 Thai hostages have been freed, leaving 73 still in captivity, around half of whom Israeli authorities have declared dead in absentia.

The Future of the Ceasefire and U.S. Involvement

The ceasefire, which began on January 19, has entered its 42nd day. It is structured in phases:

1. Initial Hostage-Prisoner Exchanges – Hamas agreed to release 33 Israeli hostages, primarily women, children, elderly, and sick detainees, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
2. Negotiations for Remaining Hostages – Talks will focus on returning all remaining hostages, leading to a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
3. End of War & Gaza Reconstruction – The final phase aims to rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated by the war, leaving most of its 2.3 million residents homeless and struggling with food, water, and electricity shortages.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested moving Palestinians out of Gaza permanently and placing the region under U.S. administration for redevelopment—an idea strongly rejected by Palestinian leaders, Arab states, and Western allies.

Casualty Figures and the Impact of War

The conflict, which escalated after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, has led to:

• 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken, according to Israel.
• Over 48,000 Palestinians killed, per Gaza’s Health Ministry.
• The displacement of most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, creating a humanitarian crisis.

Conclusion

As the ceasefire holds—for now—the release of hostages and prisoners provides a temporary pause in hostilities. However, with tensions still high and political uncertainty looming, the future of the truce remains fragile.

Source

The post Three Israeli Hostages Freed as Israel Releases 369 Palestinian Prisoners appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a threat to target decision-making centers in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, using Russia’s new ballistic missile, the Oreshnik. This statement came just hours after Russia launched a large-scale strike on Ukraine’s energy grid overnight, which Putin described as retaliation for Ukraine’s attacks on Russian soil using U.S.-supplied Atacms missiles.

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that any Russian attempts at “blackmail” would face a strong reply from Ukraine.

Ukraine recently used Atacms and UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia, marking the first such attacks since the invasion began in February 2022, with approval from the United States, the UK, and France.

The Russian strike was carried out over several hours, involving waves of drones and missiles hitting various locations across Ukraine. This marked the second time this month that Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been targeted. While no casualties were reported, the attack left more than one million Ukrainians without power.

Zelensky condemned the use of cluster munitions in the attack, noting their severe risk to civilians and the challenges they present to rescue teams and repair workers. “Cluster warheads are a particularly dangerous type of weapon,” he said, adding that they significantly complicate efforts to restore vital services.

Putin confirmed that the attack involved 90 missiles and 100 drones, including the new Oreshnik ballistic missile, which he claims is “intercept-proof.” However, U.S. officials believe Russia has only a limited number of these experimental missiles and will need time to produce more.

In his nightly address, Zelensky responded to Putin’s threats, accusing the Russian president of having no interest in ending the war and attempting to force U.S. President Joe Biden to accept Russia’s terms. Zelensky also highlighted Putin’s warning that Russia would not allow Ukraine to acquire nuclear weapons, threatening to use “all means of destruction” if Ukraine ever pursued them.

This threat likely refers to recent reports suggesting that some unnamed Western officials had considered providing Ukraine with nuclear weapons, particularly before President Biden leaves office in January. Zelensky has frequently expressed frustration over the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which saw Ukraine give up its inherited nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union in exchange for security assurances that have not been upheld.

The Russian attacks caused explosions across several Ukrainian cities, including Odesa, Kharkiv, and Lutsk. Kyiv was also targeted, but Ukrainian authorities claimed to have intercepted all missiles aimed at the capital. The attack lasted nearly 10 hours, with at least 12 regions across Ukraine, including three in the west, affected. Emergency power outages were imposed in response, with over 280,000 people in the Rivne region and 523,000 in Lviv left without electricity. In Kherson, authorities warned of power outages lasting several days.

With winter approaching, Ukrainian officials are concerned that Russia will continue its assault on the energy grid. The country has already faced bitter winters during Russia’s invasion, and the current one promises to be just as harsh. Ukraine’s energy company, DTEK, reported significant damage to its thermal plants, and this attack marks the 11th major assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since March. Over 190 attacks have been made on energy plants since the invasion began.

Despite the destruction, Ukraine has received significant support, including up to €107 million ($89 million) worth of equipment aid from the European Commission and the U.S. to help restore power. But as temperatures drop and snow begins to fall, Ukraine braces for yet another challenging winter of war.

Source

The post Putin Threatens Kyiv as Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Grid appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.

Hashem Safieddine died in air strikes on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese Shia Muslim organisation fighting Israel, has not confirmed Safieddine’s death.

Its previous leader, Nasrallah, was killed by an Israeli air strike on Beirut on 27 September.

Source

The post Israel claims to have killed Hezbollah leader Nasrallah’s successor. appeared first on Journos News - Breaking News, World News, Top Stories, Todays Headlines and Flash Reports.