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Gaza ceasefire deal

The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has named the six Israeli captives due to be released on Saturday. Israel is also expected to release more than 600 Palestinian abductees in return. The exchange is the final one under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement signed just over a month ago. On Thursday, Hamas handed over the remains of four Israeli captives who were killed in Israel’s bombings of the Gaza Strip. Israel claimed the body of one of the captives wasn't actually hers with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening to make Hamas pay. The resistance group rejected the threats as a PR stunt. Hamas said it’s investigating the Israeli claim, adding that there’s the possibility of a mix-up of the bodies due to Israeli airstrikes on the location where the captives were being held.

West Bank raids escalation

Israeli prime minister has ordered the troops in the West Bank to ramp up raids across the occupied territories. Benjamin Netanyahu issued the order during his visit to the occupied city of Tulkarm, which has been a focus of violent Israeli raids for the second month in a row. Netanyahu echoed an earlier order by the regime’s minister of military affairs to intensify attacks in the occupied territories. The order by Israel Katz and Netanyahu follows a series of explosions that hit three buses at a station in Tel Aviv. The Palestinian resistance has not claimed responsibility for the explosions. Yet, Israel has stepped up its demolition and killing campaign in the occupied West Bank, particularly since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect. The latest victim of such atrocities is a Palestinian teenage girl who has been fatally shot by Israeli forces in the Jenin refugee camp.

Russia-Ukraine war

Russia says its forces have captured several areas in eastern Ukraine as its forces continue to advance. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its troops captured seven villages in the regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kursk over the past week. Also the ministry reported striking gas and power supply sites and port infrastructure of Ukraine’s military-industrial sector. The ministry said that strikes also targeted Ukrainian missile and artillery armament depots, and the infrastructure of military airfields. Moscow claimed that its troops have inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, local Ukrainian officials report death of at least 12 People in Russian strikes. Kiev is being pressured by its main ally the US to strike a deal with Moscow to end the war. However, Ukraine’s President has called for reliable and clear security guarantees from allies to end the war.

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