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What happened on day six of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip?

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Liri Albag and Karina Ariev. (photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90, Canva, Courtesy)
Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Liri Albag and Karina Ariev.
(photo credit: ABED RAHIM KHATIB/FLASH90, Canva, Courtesy)

Hamas list of hostages set for Saturday release doesn't comply with agreement, Israel says

Despite Hamas's failure to comply with the hostage deal agreement, Israel is preparing to receive four hostages on Saturday.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 Families of Gaza hostages and protesters block the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 24, 2025 (photo credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)Enlrage image
Families of Gaza hostages and protesters block the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 24, 2025
(photo credit: ERIK MARMOR/FLASH90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office said that the list Hamas published of the four names of hostages to be released on Saturday did not comply with the agreement in a statement on Friday.

"Israel is preparing to receive the hostages tomorrow. The list of prisoners will be provided this evening," a security source said Friday evening, according to Israeli media.

As part of the hostage deal, it was agreed that the four hostages set for release on Saturday are to be three soldiers and one civilian.

The deal will see 33 hostages released in the first phase in exchange for the release of security prisoners, humanitarian aid, and an IDF withdrawal from some areas in Gaza.

Hamas is also supposed to pass on a list of the status of the remaining 26 hostages held in Gaza who are on the release list for the first phase.

For the first time, Israel will, therefore, receive official information about the fate of the Bibas family: Parents Shiri and Yarden and children, Ariel and Kfir.

Families of the hostages blocking the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv calling for every last hostage to be released. (Credit Danor Aharon)
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'Now is Samaria's time': Shin Bet chief addresses security forces' Jenin op.

“We are in a multi-front campaign—but right now, it’s Samaria’s time," he asserted.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar carry out a situational assessment in Jenin. January 22, 2025. (photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)Enlrage image
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar carry out a situational assessment in Jenin. January 22, 2025.
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Terror cannot be defeated solely by defensive actions, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar said during a situational assessment in the West Bank city of Jenin on Wednesday with IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi. 

“We are in a multi-front campaign—but right now, it’s Samaria’s time," he asserted.

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IDF operates overnight in northern West Bank to make arrests

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
  (photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)Enlrage image
(photo credit: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT)

The IDF operated overnight on Thursday into early Friday to make arrests in several locations throughout the West Bank, Walla reported.

The Israeli military operations reportedly placed an emphasis on localities in the northern West Bank, including cities such as Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Kalkilya.

"The Egoz unit has fought throughout the past year in all sectors, and is currently in the midst of significant fighting to thwart terrorism in Jenin," Egoz Unit commander, Lieutenant-Colonel A. said. "We will go wherever we are needed and act in the best way possible to ensure the security of the residents of the State of Israel."

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Rubio vows to work 'tirelessly' to free hostages during call with FM Sa'ar

Rubio "pledged to work tirelessly to help free all remaining hostages held in Gaza."

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at the State Department in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025.  (photo credit:  REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)Enlrage image
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as he meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at the State Department in Washington, U.S., January 21, 2025.
(photo credit: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in which he emphasized his support for Israel and vowed to work to release all the hostages held in Hamas captivity, the US State Department announced after the call on Friday morning.

Rubio began by congratulating Sa'ar on the three hostages that were released through the implemented ceasefire deal on Sunday, the State Department said.

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Trump: 'Would be nice' if Iran issues could be fixed without Israeli strike on military facilities

“Iran will hopefully make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal, that’s okay too,” Trump added.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS
 U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House, as he signs executive orders, in Washington, U.S., January 23, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE)Enlrage image
U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House, as he signs executive orders, in Washington, U.S., January 23, 2025.
(photo credit: REUTERS/KEVIN LAMARQUE)

US President Donald Trump commented on Israel's conflict with Iran on Thursday, saying, "It would be nice" if Israel would avoid escalation involving striking Iran's military facilities. 

The statements came when he was asked by a reporter at the Oval Office what he thought about a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities as he signed executive orders.

"It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step," Trump responded.

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IDF to stay in southern Lebanon after deadline

The security cabinet met on Thursday to debate how long Israel should stay in southern Lebanon considering the Lebanese side hasn’t fulfilled its part of the agreement.

By AMICHAI STEIN
 An Israeli military official walks near Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, January 13, 2025 (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)Enlrage image
An Israeli military official walks near Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, January 13, 2025
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)

The IDF will stay in southern Lebanon after day 60 of the ceasefire but it’s still unclear for how long, according to sources in the defense establishment and ministers, who convened on Thursday night to discuss the situation.
Sunday will mark 60 days since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on November 27.

The agreement drafted by US envoy Amos Hochstein dictates that the Lebanese Army will be deployed in southern Lebanon during the first 60 days, dismantling Hezbollah camps and equipment. After day 60, Israeli forces are expected to completely withdraw from Lebanese territory.

Israeli officials, however, have said the Lebanese Army is not doing the job fast enough.

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Israel awaits Friday Hamas list on status of remaining first phase hostages

For the first time, Israel will therefore receive official information about the fate of the Bibas family: Parents Shiri and Yarden and children Ariel and Kfir.

By AVI ASHKENAZI
 The 33 hostages set to be released in the first stage of the hostage deal.  (photo credit: via walla!)Enlrage image
The 33 hostages set to be released in the first stage of the hostage deal.
(photo credit: via walla!)

Israel is on high alert for the publication of Hamas's two lists on Friday, it was announced on Thursday.

One list is expected to include the names of three kidnapped female soldiers as well as the name of Arbel Yehud from Nir Oz, who, according to intelligence estimates, is being held by a Salafi group linked to Islamic Jihad in Khan Yunis.

Four female hostages are set to be released on Saturday as part of the hostage-ceasefire deal.

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Iran says Trump's 'terrorist' designation of Yemen's Houthis is 'baseless'

In 2021, Joe Biden had dropped Trump's terrorist designations to address humanitarian concerns inside Yemen.

By REUTERS
 US President Donald Trump in front of a background of newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen December 2, 2023 (illustrative) (photo credit:  REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA PREVIEW XML/REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)Enlrage image
US President Donald Trump in front of a background of newly recruited fighters who joined a Houthi military force intended to be sent to fight in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, march during a parade in Sanaa, Yemen December 2, 2023 (illustrative)
(photo credit: REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA PREVIEW XML/REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

Iran on Thursday condemned as "baseless" a move by US President Donald Trump to re-designate Yemen's Tehran-aligned Houthi movement as a "foreign terrorist organization (FTO)."

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that the move, which will impose harsher economic penalties than the Biden administration had applied to the Houthis, was "an excuse to apply anti-human sanctions against the Yemeni people."

"Such arbitrary and baseless unilateral actions will further weaken the rule of law in international relations and threaten regional peace and stability," Baghaei was quoted by state media as saying.

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Hamas is making big comeback in Gaza during ceasefire, expert warns

Senior researcher at the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University explains the developments in the Gaza Strip in context of the hostage deal and the ceasefire.

By WALLA!
 Hamas terrorists parade as they prepare to hand over hostages. (photo credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)Enlrage image
Hamas terrorists parade as they prepare to hand over hostages.
(photo credit: Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters)

"From Hamas's perspective, they are making a major comeback as a dominant force in Gaza," Dr. Michael Milshtein, a senior researcher at the Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, told 103FM on Thursday regarding the developments in the Gaza Strip in the context of the hostage deal and the ceasefire.

"Their situation is not bad. It's terrible for us to say this because we wanted to see a battered, beaten, and maybe even barely existing organization. Yesterday, the education system in Gaza announced that schools will soon reopen, even though 85% of schools no longer exist. 6,000 Hamas police officers have been deployed throughout the strip, making it clear to everyone who is in charge and signaling that there's no point in talking about the 'post-war era,'" he said.

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Yamam Dep.-Ch: Deal better than 'dangerous' hostage rescue operation - N12

"While fighters are ready and prepared for rescue operations, if there is a possibility of a release in a deal, it will do everyone good."

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
 Yamam fighters recount the moment that they rescued Noa Argamani from Hamas captivity during Operation Arnon, June 15, 2024. (photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)Enlrage image
Yamam fighters recount the moment that they rescued Noa Argamani from Hamas captivity during Operation Arnon, June 15, 2024.
(photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

It's better to release hostages in a deal than through a rescue operation, Deputy Chief of Yamam - H - told N12's Uvda program.

Deputy Chief H. commanded two major hostage rescue operations in Gaza, one in February (to rescue Fernando Maman and Luis Har) and one in June (to rescue Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov) the latter of which resulted in the death of Yamam's Arnon Zamora.

"There is a very deep dissonance," he told N12. "On the one hand, the fighters really want to do a rescue operation, on the other hand, I say, because of the complexity, because of the danger, it's better to release them in a deal."

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Israel at war: What you need to know


  • Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
  • Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 at the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
  • 94 hostages remain in Gaza.
  • 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
  • The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
  • The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4:00 a.m.
  • Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire on January 17, 2025
  • 735 terrorists will be released as part of the hostage deal