Israel-Hamas Prisoner Exchange
Key Insights:
- Israel-Hamas reach groundbreaking prisoner swap deal, a hopeful sign for enduring peace in the Middle East.
- Saudi-African leaders unite at the Riyadh summit, advocating for an immediate end to the Gaza conflict.
- Saudi Arabia commits to a $25 billion investment in Africa, bolstering global partnerships and economic development.
Israel and Hamas have agreed on a prisoner exchange, according to Arabic media outlets, marking a potential turning point in the long-standing conflict. According to reports, the agreement will see the release of 100 female hostages from Gaza in return for freeing Palestinian female and child prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Saudi Crown Prince and African Leaders Demand War’s End
Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, together with African leaders, has called for an immediate cessation of the war in Gaza. During a high-level summit in Riyadh, the leaders condemned the ongoing military assault and civilian targeting in the Gaza Strip, highlighting violations of international law by Israeli forces. Moreover, they emphasized the need to halt the war and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
The conflict has escalated with Israeli air strikes targeting three Gaza hospitals and a school, resulting in at least 27 casualties. Additionally, ground combat near another hospital has intensified the crisis. Palestinian officials report staggering losses, with approximately 11,078 Gaza residents, including 40% children, having lost their lives in recent air and artillery strikes.
In contrast, Israel reports substantial losses due to Hamas’ actions. The country cites 1,400 civilian deaths and about 240 hostages taken on October 7. The conflict has also claimed the lives of 39 Israeli soldiers.
How Did This War Start? A Reminder and Recap
On October 7th, thousands of Hamas terrorists together with hundreds of “civilians” from Gaza attacked Southern Israel, breached the border barriers and commenced to massacre 1,400 people in towns of southern Israel. They also kidnapped 240 people and took them back with them to Gaza where 237 of them are still being help captive. Video and eye witness testimonies have shown countless instances of cold blooded murder of civilian men, women, children, infants and elderly.
Palestinians also raped Israeli women and mutilated bodies of civilians an soldiers that they got their hands on during the barbaric rampage. Israel within hours after the attack retaliated by bombarding Hamas and Gaza.
Since then only 3 of the Israeli hostages have been released and Israel has dropped 15,000 tones of bombs on the Gaza strip, the Palestinian health authority in Gaza which is run by Hamas has reported over 10,000 deaths in the Gaza strip from the Israeli bombardments and ground operations. %50 of apartments in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. More than half of the Palestinian population has been displaced. The Palestinian health authority in Gaza has also reported that thousands of children have died.
Credit: HamasVideo.com
Learn more in our previous posts:
- US Navy Intercepts Missiles From Yemen Targeting Israel
- Muslims Cheering Murder of American Civilians in Israel
- Hamas Terrorist Admits to Beheadings, Rape, Killing Babies
- Pope Francis Calls on Hamas to Free Israeli Hostages
- Hamas Terrorists Cruelty Exceeds ISIS
- Hamas Militants Kidnap Israelis During Brutal Massacre
- Benjamin Netanyahu Declares a State of War
International Response and Call for Peace
The African-Saudi summit concluded with a joint declaration. The leaders present, including the presidents of Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Djibouti, and Mauritania, alongside the prime ministers of Ethiopia and Niger and Egypt’s foreign minister, unanimously called for an end to military operations in Palestinian territories. They stressed the necessity to protect civilians and resolve the root cause of the conflict – the Israeli occupation. The leaders advocated for a two-state solution, emphasizing the Palestinian right to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The international community was urged to exert pressure on Israel to cease its attacks and stop the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, actions deemed as flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.
Israel’s Stance Against Hamas
Israel maintains that its objective is to dismantle Hamas’ military and governance capabilities, following the group’s October 7 brutal rampage into southern Israel. Hamas terrorists, concentrated in northern Gaza, are using hospitals packed with displaced people, patients, and doctors as human shields – a claim Hamas denies.
In the “Riyadh Declaration,” the African-Saudi leaders called for supporting relief organizations, including the UNRWA. Aligned with its Vision 2030 plan, Saudi Arabia announced a $25 billion investment in Africa by decade’s end. Additionally, the kingdom plans to finance and insure Saudi exports to Africa, worth $10 billion, and fund development projects valued at about $5 billion through the Saudi Fund for Development.
The summit concluded with over 50 deals and preliminary agreements in the tourism, energy, finance, mining, and logistics sectors.
Below the Sky / Shutterstock.com
