Author: Aaron Boxerman and Adam Rasgon
Published on: 01/02/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
Israel and Hamas Exchange 3 Hostages and More Than 180 Prisoners In highly staged ceremonies, Israel released 183 Palestinians held in jails. Israel released two of the hostages, Yarden Bibas, 35, and Ofer Kalderon, 54, in a highly theatrical ceremony in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. The group then released the third hostage, Keith Siegel, a 65-year-old American Israeli. Israelis view these prisoners as murderous terrorists and have lamented their release. Palestinians often view them as freedom fighters against Israel. In the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023 that set off the war, about 1,200 people were killed. Israel invaded Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, in May. But officials in the Gaza Health Ministry said only 50 out of thousands of ill and injured people would be able to cross on Saturday. The rapid release of the three hostages contrasted with the frenzied scenes of an exchange on Thursday. Israel delayed releasing more than 100 Palestinian prisoners until it said it had received guarantees that the chaos would not be repeated. Israeli military spokesman says the military is “gravely concerned” for the mother and children. All the other children seized in the Oct. 7 attack were released during the 2023 cease-fire. Mr. Siegel was the first dual American-Israeli hostage to be released from captivity. Mohammad El Halabi is a humanitarian worker whose conviction in Israel on charges of funneling aid funds to Hamas prompted an outcry from rights groups. His employer, World Vision — a well-known Christian relief organization — said an independent investigation had found no evidence of wrongdoing. The exchange on Saturday came as Arab nations presented a united front against President Trump’s recent call for Egypt and Jordan to take in Gazans. Gazans’ Painful Trek Home: Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have lived in tents in the south, barred from returning to northern Gaza. Now, Israel is allowing them to walk back. A broad group of Arab nations rejected a suggestion by President Trump to “clean out” Gaza and ask Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians, saying such a plan risked further expanding the conflict in the Middle East.
Original: 1762 words
Summary: 377 words
Percent reduction: 78.60%