JERUSALEM: Israel said Friday it had received the names of three hostages to be freed by militants this weekend, after a crisis in the ceasefire threatened to plunge Gaza back into war.
The hostages due for release Saturday are Israeli-Russian Sasha Trupanov, Israeli-American Sagui Dekel-Chen and Israeli-Argentinian Yair Horn, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
One of them is being held by Hamas’s militant ally Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Israel had warned Hamas that it must free three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war, after the group said it would pause releases over what it described as Israeli violations of the Gaza truce.
The January 19 ceasefire has been under massive strain since President Donald Trump proposed a US takeover of the territory, under which Gaza’s population of more than two million would be moved to Egypt or Jordan.
Arab countries have come together to reject the plan, and Saudi Arabia will on February 20 host the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates for a summit on the issue.
The releases of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, as agreed under the terms of the truce, have brought much-needed relief to families on both sides of the war, but the emaciated state of the Israeli captives freed last week sparked anger in Israel and beyond.
“The latest release operations reinforce the urgent need for ICRC access to those held hostage,” the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has facilitated the exchanges, said in a statement Friday.
“We remain very concerned about the conditions of the hostages.”
Following Hamas’s handover ceremony last week, during which the captives were forced to speak, the ICRC appealed for future handovers to be more private and dignified.
Israeli-American hostage Keith Siegel, who was released in a previous exchange nearly two weeks ago, described mistreatment during his captivity in a video message.
“I am a survivor. I was held for 484 days in unimaginable conditions, every single day felt like it could be my last,” he said.
“I was starved and I was tortured, both physically and emotionally.”
Trump, whose proposal to take over Gaza and move its 2.4 million residents to Egypt or Jordan sparked global outcry, warned this week that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release “all” remaining hostages by noon on Saturday.
Israel later insisted Hamas release “three living hostages” on Saturday.
“If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages, by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” said government spokesman David Mencer.
If fighting resumes, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said it would not just lead to the “defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages,” but also “allow the realization of US President Trump’s vision for Gaza.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was due in Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the ceasefire after attending the Munich Security Conference, where he will hold talks on Ukraine.
Katz last week ordered the Israeli army to prepare for “voluntary” departures from Gaza, and the military said it had already begun reinforcing its troops around the territory.
Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group said despite their public disputes, Israel and Hamas were still interested in maintaining the truce and have not “given up on anything yet.”
“They’re just playing power games,” she said.
Arab countries have put on a rare show of unity in their rejection of Trump’s proposal for Gaza.
After the Riyadh summit, the Arab League will convene in Cairo on February 27 to discuss the same issue.
Trump has threatened to cut off a vital aid lifeline to long-standing allies Jordan and Egypt should they refuse to come on board.
Jordan is already home to more than two million Palestinian refugees. More than half of the country’s population of 11 million is of Palestinian origin.
Egypt put forward its own proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza under a framework that would allow for the Palestinians to remain in the territory.
Palestinians in Gaza have also voiced opposition to the plan.
For Palestinians, any forced displacement evokes memories of the “Nakba,” or catastrophe — the mass displacement of their ancestors during Israel’s creation in 1948.
“Who is Trump? Is he God almighty? The land of Jordan is for Jordanians, and the land of Egypt belongs to Egyptians,” said Gaza City resident Abu Mohamed Al-Husari.
“We are here, deeply rooted in Gaza — the resilient, besieged and unbreakable Gaza.”
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including at least 35 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,239 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory that the UN considers reliable.
Israel says received names of 3 hostages to be freed Saturday
https://arab.news/9pgnm
Israel says received names of 3 hostages to be freed Saturday
- One of them is being held by Hamas’s militant ally Islamic Jihad
- Israel had warned Hamas that it must free three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war
Israeli tank fires near Lebanese army and UNIFIL patrol amid escalating tensions
- On Friday, President Joseph Aoun met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to address the Israeli escalation
- Aoun has faced mounting criticism from Hezbollah-aligned activists for his repeated insistence on the state’s exclusive authority over arms
BEIRUT: An Israeli tank opened fire near a joint Lebanese army and UNIFIL patrol on Friday afternoon, in the latest incident to heighten tensions along the Blue Line.
The tank shell reportedly landed near Wadi Al-Asafir, south of the town of Khiam, where the Lebanese army and UNIFIL were conducting a field operation. The fire was said to have come from a newly established Israeli position in the Hamams area, according to eyewitnesses.
A Lebanese military source told Arab News: “This is not the first time Israeli forces have targeted Lebanese army and UNIFIL units. Similar incidents have occurred during operations south of the Litani River, and UNIFIL has previously issued statements condemning such actions.”
Earlier on Friday, an Israeli drone fired three missiles at a vehicle in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon, in a failed assassination attempt. Witnesses said the first strike hit a car traveling on the Majdaloun-Baalbek road. The driver, believed to be Palestinian, managed to escape, tossing his phone out before parking near Dar Al-Amal Hospital.
The drone fired a second missile that missed, resulting in material damage only. A third strike followed, but the target was not injured.
The attacks come amid renewed Israeli skepticism over Lebanon’s efforts to confiscate weapons south of the Litani River. Israeli officials dismissed Beirut’s recent announcement of completing the first phase of the disarmament plan as a “media stunt to buy time.” Lebanese officials insisted that progress was being made under a phased national strategy backed by international partners.
On Friday, President Joseph Aoun met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to address the Israeli escalation, which this week included the bombing of residential areas north of the Litani River, displacing dozens of families.
Aoun has faced mounting criticism from Hezbollah-aligned activists for his repeated insistence on the state’s exclusive authority over arms. A social media campaign launched Thursday accused the president of betraying the resistance, using defamatory language in videos widely circulated online.
Despite the backlash, Berri is said to be supportive of Aoun’s position. A Lebanese official told Arab News, “Berri continues to play a mediating role and agrees that the real problem lies in the lack of international pressure on Israel to respect the ceasefire and end its violations.”
Aoun told a visiting delegation from the Southern Border Towns Association on Friday that Lebanon’s stability is impossible without security in the south. “We are coordinating with the army to reinforce their presence in the border villages,” he said. “Our primary demand in the mechanism meetings remains the safe return of displaced residents and the release of prisoners.”
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has begun summoning individuals accused of insulting Aoun online, including journalist Hassan Alik, who failed to appear on Friday.
The Presidential Palace told Arab News that the president had not filed a complaint and that the judiciary acted independently in accordance with Lebanese law, which criminalizes insults against the head of state.
Alik’s lawyer, Alia Moallem, filed a legal memorandum arguing that the summons violated the constitution and press laws, stating the remarks fall within the scope of journalistic work and freedom of expression.
In a statement, the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate urged journalists to uphold responsible discourse during this sensitive time, while reaffirming the importance of safeguarding freedom of speech under Lebanese law.
