Close Menu
WTX News
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    WTX News
    • Live News
      • US News
      • EU News
      • UK News
      • Politics
      • COVID-19
      • Business
      • Tech zone
    • World news
      • Middle East News
        • UAE News
        • Palestine News
      • Europe
        • Italian News
        • Spanish News
      • Africa news
      • South America
      • North America
      • Asia
    • News Briefings
      • UK News Briefing
      • World News Briefing
      • Live Business News
    • Sports
      • Football News
      • Tennis
      • Women’s Football
    • MY World
      • Climate Change
      • In Review
      • Expose
      • Special Reports
        • Conscience Convoy
        • Rohingya Report
    • Entertainment
      • Insta Talk
      • Royal Family
      • Gaming News
      • TV Shows
      • Streaming
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Fashion
      • Cooking recipes
      • Luxury
      • Money Saving Expert
    • Travel
      • Culture
      • Holidays
    • Sign Up
      • Log In
    WTX News
    • Live News
    • World news
    • News Briefings
    • Sports
    • MY World
    • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
    • Sign Up
    Home - Politics - Israeli hostages, Palestinian detainees freed on first Gaza truce exchange
    Politics

    Israeli hostages, Palestinian detainees freed on first Gaza truce exchange

    By WTX News Editor5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Israeli hostages, Palestinian detainees freed on first Gaza truce exchange

    Jubilant crowds celebrated the release of the Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank [John Wessels/AFP via Getty]

    Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli captives, completing the first exchange under a long-awaited truce aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in Gaza.

    The three captives released Sunday, all women, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital in central Israel where a doctor said they were in stable condition.

    Hours later in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in exchange left Ofer prison on buses at around 1:00 am (2300 GMT Sunday), with jubilant crowds celebrating their arrival in the nearby town of Beitunia.

    As the ceasefire took effect on Sunday morning, thousands of displaced, war-weary Palestinians set off across the devastated Gaza Strip to return home.

    In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, heading to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.

    “We are finally in our home. There is no home left, just rubble, but it’s our home,” said Rana Mohsen, 43, back in Jabalia.

    The initial 42-day truce was brokered by Qatari, US and Egyptian mediators.

    It is meant to enable a surge of sorely needed humanitarian aid into Gaza, as more Israeli captives are released in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody, Israeli forces leave some areas and the parties negotiate the terms of a permanent ceasefire.

    Reunited

    The three Israeli ex-captives, Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, were taken back to Israel by security forces after Hamas fighters handed them over to the Red Cross in a bustling square in Gaza City, surrounded by a sea of people, including gunmen.

    “After 471 days Emily is finally home,” said her mother Mandy Damari, but “for too many other families the impossible wait continues”.

    Steinbrecher’s family said in a statement that “our heroic Dodo, who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, begins her rehabilitation journey today”.

    In central Tel Aviv, there was elation among the crowd who had waited for hours for the news of their release.

    The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group hailed their return as “a beacon of light”, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza – said they had emerged “from darkness”.

    During this initial truce, 33 Israeli captives are due to be returned from Gaza in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians.

    Of those, more than 230 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for alleged deadly attacks against Israelis are slated for deportation, according to a list made public by the Israeli authorities. Two Hamas officials said the prisoners would be deported mainly to Qatar or Turkey.

    The Israel Prison Service confirmed the release of 90 prisoners early Monday.

    In Beitunia, near Ofer prison, AFP journalists saw crowds cheering and chanting as buses carrying the freed inmates arrived, with some climbing atop the lead bus and unfurling a Hamas flag.

    The next captive-prisoner swap would take place on Saturday, a senior Hamas official told AFP.

    ‘Nothing left’

    Minutes after the truce began, the United Nations said the first trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid had entered the Palestinian territory.

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the truce, saying “it is imperative that this ceasefire removes the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid”.

    The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.

    It came into effect nearly three hours later than scheduled, and during the delay, Gaza rescuers said Israeli bombardment killed 19 people.

    Thousands of Palestinians carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen going home on Sunday, after the war that displaced the vast majority of Gazans, in many cases more than once.

    Returning Jabalia resident Walid Abu Jiab said he found “massive, unprecedented destruction”, with “nothing left” in Gaza’s war-battered north, which has seen intense violence over the past months.

    In Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, displaced woman Umm Hasan al-Buzom, 70, said she would even “crawl my way back home” if needed.

    “But we can’t return for fear that the (Israeli) occupation forces might shoot at us.”

    Aid workers say northern Gaza was particularly hard hit, and lacked all essentials including food, shelter and water.

    The World Health Organization said it was ready to pour aid into Gaza but that it would need “systematic access” across the territory to do so.

    The agency’s chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, later said on X that “restoring the health system in Gaza will be a complex and challenging task, given the scale of destruction”.

    ‘Commitment’

    Another UN agency, the World Food Programme, said it was moving full throttle to get food to as many Gazans as possible.

    “We’re trying to reach a million people within the shortest possible time,” the WFP’s deputy executive director, Carl Skau, told AFP.

    Before the war, Gaza’s population stood at around 2.4 million people. Israel has killed close to 47,000 people, mostly civilians.

    On the eve of the truce, Netanyahu called the first phase a “temporary ceasefire” and said Israel had US support to return to the war if necessary.

    Hamas’ armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said its adherence to the truce would be “contingent on the enemy’s commitment”.

    The war’s only previous truce, for one week in November 2023, also saw the release of captives held by Palestinian groups in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

    The current truce took effect on the eve of Donald Trump‘s inauguration for a second term as US president.

    Trump, who claimed credit for the ceasefire deal, said on US television network NBC that he had told Netanyahu the war “has to end”.

    featured General-Antonio-Guterres Prime Minister World News
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp
    Previous ArticleColombian drug gang violence kills 60 in Catatumbo region
    Next Article Left Party gains momentum ahead of German parliamentary elections
    WTX News Editor
    • X (Twitter)
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    The WTX News Teams works around the clock to deliver, breaking news and news Briefings to you on a daily basis. It is our opinion that sometimes you need information, not speculation so we try to cut through the bull**** and give you that in your Daily News Briefing.

    Related Posts

    Angela Rayner may no longer be at the top table but she remains a powerful force in the Labour Party
    Politics

    Angela Rayner may no longer be at the top table but she remains a powerful force in the Labour Party

    What a moment for Shabana Mahmood to take the helm at the Home Office
    Politics

    What a moment for Shabana Mahmood to take the helm at the Home Office

    Farage says Reform is on course to win next election and he expects ‘big rift’ in Labour Party
    Birmingham news

    Farage says Reform is on course to win next election and he expects ‘big rift’ in Labour Party

    Angela Rayner resigns after admitting she did not pay enough tax
    Politics

    Angela Rayner resigns after admitting she did not pay enough tax

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Advertisment
    News Headlines
    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area

    Save 70% on VIP subscription
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    News Briefings - the way to a better life
    Advert by Sponsors
    More from WTX News
    The latest gaming news - with game reviews and tips and tricks. updated 24 hours a day.
    The latest gaming news
    Hot off the press!
    • Arrests made at protest for Palestine Action in London September 6, 2025
    • Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood in England XI for third ODI September 6, 2025
    • Sure! Here’s the text without the site name, category, date, and full stops: “It blew my mind as a kid” TV fans reveal best sci-fi series ever September 6, 2025
    • Israel warns Gaza City residents to flee south to humanitarian area September 6, 2025
    • Mauricio Pochettino ‘shocked’ by Daniel Levy’s Tottenham exit September 6, 2025
    wtx news brings you the latest news, a UK news briefing, Sports analysis, and premier league news with a special round-up of Business and crypto updates
    Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram

    News

    • World News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • EU News
    • Business
    • Opinions
    • News Briefing
    • Live News

    Company

    • About WTX News
    • Register
    • Advertising
    • Work with us
    • Contact
    • Community
    • GDPR Policy
    • Privacy

    Services

    • Fitness for free
    • Insta Talk
    • How to guides
    • Climate Change
    • In Review
    • Expose
    • NEWS SUMMARY
    • Money Saving Expert

    News delivered to your inbox

    Copyright WTX News 2025

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.