KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Israel will not withdraw from a strategic corridor in the Gaza Strip as called for by the ceasefire, an official said Thursday. Israel’s refusal could spark a crisis with Hamas and key mediator Egypt at a sensitive moment for the fragile truce.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Israeli forces needed to remain in the so-called Philadelphi corridor, on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, to prevent weapons smuggling.
The official spoke hours after Hamas released the remains of four hostages in exchange for over 600 Palestinian prisoners, the last planned swap of the ceasefire's first phase, which ends this weekend. Talks over the second and more difficult stage have yet to begin.
Israel was supposed to begin withdrawing from the Philadelphi corridor on Saturday, the last day of the first phase, and complete it within eight days.
Much could hinge on a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is expected in the region in the coming days.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas or Egypt. But in a statement earlier on Thursday, the militant group said the only way for Israel to secure the release of dozens of hostages still held in Gaza was through negotiations and adhering to the ceasefire agreement.
Remains of 4 hostages are identified
The remains released Thursday were confirmed to be those of Ohad Yahalomi, Itzhak Elgarat, Shlomo Mantzur and Tsachi Idan, according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents families of the captives.
Mantzur, 85, was killed in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war, and his body was taken into the territory. The other three were abducted alive and the circumstances surrounding their deaths were not known.
“Our hearts ache upon receiving the bitter news,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said. “In this painful moment, there is some solace in knowing that they will be laid to rest in dignity in Israel.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he shared the “immense pain” of the family and loved ones of Yahalomi, who had French citizenship.
Hamas confirmed that over 600 prisoners had been released overnight. Most were detainees returned to Gaza, where they had been rounded up after the Oct. 7 attack and held without charge on security suspicions.
A joyful return for released prisoners
Some of the released prisoners fell to their knees in gratitude after disembarking from buses in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. In the West Bank town of Beitunia, dozens of prisoners were welcomed by crowds of relatives and well-wishers.
The released prisoners wore shirts issued by the Israeli prison service bearing a message in Arabic about pursuing one's enemies. Some of the prisoners threw the shirts on the ground or set them on fire.
Israel delayed the release of the prisoners on Saturday over Hamas' practice of parading hostages before crowds and cameras during their release. Israel, along with the Red Cross and U.N. officials, have called the ceremonies humiliating for the hostages.
Hamas released the four bodies to the Red Cross in Gaza overnight without a public ceremony.
The prisoners released Thursday included 445 men, 21 teenagers and one woman, according to lists shared by Palestinian officials that did not specify their ages. Only around 50 Palestinians were released into the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem in this round, while dozens sentenced to life over deadly attacks against Israelis were exiled.
The truce is in peril
The latest handover was the final one planned under the ceasefire’s first six-week phase, which expires this weekend. Hamas has returned 33 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Trump's envoy, Witkoff, has said he wants the sides to move into negotiations on the second phase. Those talks were supposed to begin the first week of February.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to return all the hostages and destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas, which remains in control of Gaza. The Trump administration has endorsed both goals.
But it's unclear how Israel would destroy Hamas without resuming the war, and Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages — its main bargaining chips — without a lasting ceasefire.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, ended 15 months of war that erupted after Hamas’ 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. About 250 people were taken hostage.
If the identities of the four bodies are confirmed, then 59 captives will remain in Gaza, 32 of whom are believed to be dead. Nearly 150 have been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals, while dozens of bodies have been recovered by Israeli forces and eight captives have been rescued alive.
Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who don't differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but say over half the dead have been women and children.
The fighting displaced an estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s population and decimated the territory’s infrastructure and health system.
Israeli official says the army won’t withdraw from a Gaza corridor in potential jolt to truce
https://arab.news/9f6a7
Israeli official says the army won’t withdraw from a Gaza corridor in potential jolt to truce
- Hamas confirmed that over 600 prisoners had been released overnight
- Israel delayed the release of the prisoners on Saturday over Hamas’ practice of parading hostages
From gunshots to the Africa Cup, Sudanese players endure brutal war to bring hope
- For many Sudanese, the team has become a symbol of hope and unity and a rare source of joy to escape wartime hardship
CASABLANCA: When Sudan player Ammar Taifour first heard gunfire outside his hotel room, he shrugged it off and went back to sleep. He had a soccer match to play.
But hours later, gunfire erupted again and gunmen surrounded the hotel in Omdurman, central Sudan, trying to seize control of the area. Taifour, a 28-year-old American-Sudanese midfielder, didn’t realize the shots marked the beginning a brutal war that would claim tens of thousands of lives and displace millions.
“We saw them from the windows all around the hotel holding guns,” Taifour told The Associated Press at the Africa Cup of Nations this week. “They were shooting at army aircraft. It was completely unexpected.”
Taifour and his teammates, coaches and medical staff were trapped inside the hotel for more than two days, as food and water supplies ran low. They left only after the gunmen withdrew, and Taifour flew back to the United States, leaving his career in Sudan behind as he searched for a new team.
His experience mirrors that of other Sudanese players forced to flee the country, leaving family members behind in the war-torn African nation while attempting to pursue soccer careers at the highest level.
A brutal war
The war in Sudan was labeled by the UN as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. It erupted in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into open fighting, with widespread mass killings and rapes, and ethnically motivated violence.
The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people according to UN figures, but aid groups say the true number could be many times higher. More than 14 million people have been displaced, as disease outbreaks and famine spread in parts of the country.
But the Sudanese national team, known as the Falcons of Jediane, is persevering, and it qualified for the Africa Cup despite training and playing every qualifying game abroad. Sudan even defeated Ghana, denying the African powerhouse qualification for the four-week tournament.
Symbol of hope
For many Sudanese, the team has become a symbol of hope and unity and a rare source of joy to escape wartime hardship. Ahead of their team’s opening match against Algeria in the Moroccan capital Rabat, Sudanese supporters erupted in celebration, waving national flags and honking car horns. Hundreds chanted “Sudan!” and danced as they made their way to stadiums and fan zones.
“The war has destroyed many parts of the country and killed far too many innocent people,” national team player Mohamed Abuaagla told the AP. “Playing and winning games brings happiness to our people back home. We are trying to plant a small seed of a smile in them, despite the hardships they are enduring.”
The players themselves have faced many challenges. With the league suspended due to the war, players were forced to play abroad, often in neighboring Libya.
Sudan’s two largest clubs, Al Merrikh and Al Hilal, compete in Rwanda’s league. Previously, they played in Mauritania’s championship, with Al Hilal going on to win it. Last year, the Sudan Football Association organized what it called an “elite league,” an eight-team competition that lasted less than a month.
Abuaagla lost his uncle during the war.
“He was sick, but we couldn’t take him to a hospital because they were all deteriorated from the fighting,” Abuaagla said, fighting tears.
Both players said the war is a driving force for Sudanese players on the field. They carry the weight of their compatriots’ struggle, whether at home or abroad, and feel a greater responsibility to represent Sudan now than ever before.
Something to celebrate
Sudanese rally behind their team because it serves as an apolitical symbol of the country, political and security risk analyst Thomas O’Donoghue told the AP. It can unify people and remind them or something worth celebrating, he said.
“But I don’t think the soccer team alone can push the warring parties toward a ceasefire or mediation,” O’Donoghue said. “The conflict has been ongoing for nearly three years and involves numerous domestic and international stakeholders, many with economic interests in Sudan.”
Sudan lost its opening Africa Cup match against Algeria and will hope to progress from its group with good results against Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea. But the team has also been plagued by injuries, with three forward, the team captain and a full back all ruled out.
“It’s a difficult situation. Sometimes I don’t feel comfortable talking about it, but I just have to deal with those who are available and how best you can use them,” Sudan coach James Kwesi Appiah said after the loss to Algeria.
The players competing in Morocco are determined to go as far as possible, and the dream of lifting the trophy.
“Before each game, I pray for the people back in Sudan,” Taifour said. “They deserve happiness, and I try to do my best to bring that to them.”
