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The Israeli military is all but certain to miss a Sunday deadline to withdraw from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire deal that ended its war with Hezbollah two months ago.Under the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire that took effect on November 27, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside United Nations peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdraws over a 60-day period that ends on Sunday.On Saturday, the Lebanese army said a delay in implementing the agreement was the “result of the procrastination in the withdrawal from the Israeli enemy’s side”.Israeli forces have left coastal areas of southern Lebanon, but are still present in areas further east.The deal stipulates that Hezbollah pull back its forces north of the Litani River — about 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border — and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday that “the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese state” and so the military’s withdrawal would continue beyond the Sunday deadline.”The withdrawal process is conditional upon the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, with Hezbollah withdrawing beyond the Litani River,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.It added that “the gradual withdrawal process will continue in full coordination with the United States”, a key ally and one of the monitors of the ceasefire.The Lebanese army said it was “ready to continue its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws”.- ‘Scorched earth’ -Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad said on Saturday that Israel’s “excuses” were a pretext to “pursue a scorched earth policy” in border areas that would make the return of displaced residents “impossible”.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who took office earlier this month, spoke on Saturday with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, whose government is also involved in overseeing the truce.According to a statement from his office, Aoun spoke of the “need to oblige Israel to respect the terms of the deal in order to maintain stability in the south”.Aoun also said Israel must “end its successive violations, including the destruction of border villages… which would prevent the return of residents”.Macron’s office, in its summary of the conversation, said the French president had called on all parties to the Lebanon ceasefire to honour their commitments as soon as possible.The fragile ceasefire has generally held, even as the warring sides have repeatedly traded accusations of violating it.The Israeli military has continued to carry out frequent strikes which it says targeted Hezbollah fighters, and Lebanese state media has reported that Israeli forces were carrying out demolitions in villages they control.The November 27 deal ended two months of full-scale war which had followed months of low-intensity exchanges.Hezbollah began trading cross-border fire with the Israeli army the day after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by its Palestinian ally Hamas which triggered the war in Gaza.Israel intensified its campaign against Hezbollah in September, launching a series of devastating blows against the group’s leadership and killing its longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah.Hezbollah warned on Thursday that “any violation of the 60-day deadline will be considered a flagrant violation” of the ceasefire agreement and “an infringement on Lebanese sovereignty”.The group refrained from any threat to resume attacks on Israel but said the Lebanese state should use “all means necessary… to restore the land and wrest it from the clutches of the occupation”.

A fragile truce aimed at ending the war in Gaza entered its second week on Sunday, after four Israeli hostages and around 200 Palestinian prisoners were released to joyful scenes.While Israel and militant group Hamas completed on Saturday their second hostage-prisoner swap under the ceasefire deal, a last-minute dispute blocked the expected return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to the Gaza Strip’s devastated north.Israel announced that it would block Palestinians’ passage to the north until a civilian woman hostage who the prime minister’s office said “was supposed to be released” on Saturday walks free.A Hamas source told AFP that the woman, Arbel Yehud, will be “released as part of the third swap set for next Saturday”.The dispute highlighted concerns over the next phases of the three-stage truce deal, which took effect on January 19.The deal’s second phase is to see negotiations for a permanent end to the war, but analysts have warned it risks collapsing because of the deal’s multi-phase nature and deep distrust between Israel and Hamas.During the first six-week phase, 33 hostages should be freed in staggered releases in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.A total of seven hostages and 289 Palestinians have so far been released under the deal, as well as one Jordanian prisoner freed by Israel.- Waiting to return home – In Gaza, Palestinian police prevented hundreds of displaced people from reaching the Israeli-controlled passage to the north, where Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles were blocking the road.Rafiqa Subh, waiting to return to Beit Lahia, said: “We want to go back, even though our houses are destroyed. We miss our homes so much.”Subh said she would wait to be allowed back into the north “even if we have to sleep by the checkpoint”.The Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said Gazans were not allowed to approach the Netzarim Corridor, through which they have to pass to reach their homes in the north, “until it is announced open”.”These instructions will remain in effect” until further notice and until “Hamas fulfils its commitments”, Adraee said, echoing Israeli claims that Hamas was in breach of the agreement by not handing over Yehud.Among those trying to return Saturday was Samia Helles, a 26-year-old from Gaza City.”So far, I don’t know whether my house is still standing or destroyed. I don’t know if my mother is alive or dead. I haven’t been able to contact her for a month,” she said.The truce has brought a surge of food, fuel, medicines and other aid into rubble-strewn Gaza, but the UN says “the humanitarian situation remains dire”.- ‘Until the last hostage’ – The four hostages released on Saturday, all women soldiers, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital, where a doctor said they were in a stable condition.Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which triggered the war, 87 remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.Some Israelis fear for the fate of the remaining hostages as far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition oppose the ceasefire.Hours after Saturday’s hostage release was completed, thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, as they have done weekly throughout the war, to pressure the authorities to secure the release of hostages.An AFP correspondent said the demonstrators chanted in support of the return of all remaining hostages, including those not slated for release during the first phase of the truce.”The families cannot breathe. We are under immense stress… We will do everything, we will fight until the end, until the last hostage” returns, said Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is still held in Gaza.Efrat Machikava, niece of hostage Gadi Mozes, said that “our hearts are filled with joy for the four hostages who returned to us today, but we are extremely concerned for our loved ones still held in terrorist captivity.”The October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 47,283 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable.burs-ami/dhc

Applause and cheers filled a Tel Aviv square on Saturday as Gaza militants released four Israeli hostages, followed by celebrations in the occupied West Bank when Israel freed 200 Palestinian prisoners in exchange.While Israel and militant group Hamas completed their second hostage-prisoner swap under a ceasefire deal aimed at paving the way for a permanent end to their war, a last-minute dispute blocked the expected return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to the Gaza Strip’s devastated north.The four hostages released, all women soldiers, reached a hospital on the outskirts of Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv after more than 15 months of captivity in Gaza.Israel’s prison service confirmed that 200 Palestinian prisoners were freed in exchange, with some of them subsequently deported.The Israeli captives, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa and Naama Levy, all aged 20, and Liri Albag, 19, waved, smiled, and gave thumbs up as they were paraded on a stage in Gaza City, flanked by masked and armed militants.After their handover to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the military said the women were brought to Israel and “reunited with their parents”.In Tel Aviv, where a crowd gathered to watch their release on a large TV screen at a plaza known as Hostage Square, there were tears of joy, applause and a loud cheer as Israeli flags waved.In Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, crowds of Palestinians erupted in joy as dozens of freed prisoners arrived on buses from jail.One of them, Azzam al-Shallalta, dropped to his knees and wept at his mother’s feet after the teary-eyed crowd carried him on their shoulders, an AFP journalist reported.”My situation was heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking. We pray to God to free all our brothers we’ve left behind,” said Shallalta, still wearing his grey prison tracksuit.- ‘Relief’ – The freed Israeli hostages were taken by military helicopter to the Rabin Medical Centre, whose deputy director Lena Feldman Koren said the four were in a “stable” condition even though “the prolonged captivity in harsh conditions is evident”.Footage released by the military showed the families overcome with joy at being back together.Albag and her parents were seen screaming with happiness and laughing while her father lifted her off the ground in a bear hug.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Albag’s parents after her release, telling them that “this is a very happy moment that we have been waiting for a long time”, according to a statement from his office.Bulgaria’s foreign ministry welcomed with “great relief” the release of Gilboa, who is a dual national.The United States, which had helped secure the truce deal, said it “will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages”.Later on Saturday, Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv to call on their government to ensure all hostages, including those not due for release during the first phase of the truce, return home.”We will do everything, we will fight until the end,” said Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is held in Gaza.State-linked Egyptian media said 70 freed Palestinian prisoners “deported” by Israel had arrived in Egypt by bus. They were to travel on into exile in third countries.Those expelled have been serving sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis, according to a list made public by Israeli authorities.In the south Gaza city of Rafah, a crowd gathered to welcome 14 prisoners released by Israel and sent to the territory.Majda Balousha said she had hoped her husband would return to a “prosperous and not destroyed” Gaza.”But praise be to God who liberated him,” she said.The hostage-prisoner exchange is part of a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that took effect last Sunday.Hundreds of truckloads of aid have entered Gaza daily since then, but the UN says “the humanitarian situation remains dire”.And Israel’s UN ambassador has said that the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, Gaza’s main aid agency, must end all operations in Israel by Thursday in line with legislation passed by parliament.- ‘We miss home’ – Israel announced on Saturday that it would block the return of Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza until civilian woman hostage Arbel Yehud is released.Netanyahu’s office said she “was supposed to be released today”, but a Hamas source told AFP Yehud will be “released as part of the third swap set for next Saturday”.Palestinian police prevented hundreds of displaced people from reaching the Israeli-controlled passage to the north, where Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles were blocking the road.Rafiqa Subh, waiting to return to Beit Lahia, said: “We want to go back, even though our houses are destroyed. We miss our homes so much.”The ceasefire agreement should be implemented in three phases. The last two have not yet been finalised.The deal’s second phase is to see negotiations for a lasting end to the war, but analysts have warned it risks collapsing because of the deal’s multi-phase nature and deep distrust between Israel and Hamas.During the first, six-week phase, 33 hostages should be freed in staggered releases in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails.Militants released three hostages on the first day of the truce in exchange for 90 Palestinians.During Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that began the war, militants took 251 hostages, 87 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 47,283 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry which the United Nations considers reliable.burs-jd/ami/kir

A loud cheer swept through the crowd gathered at a Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostage Square, where giant screens livestreamed the long-awaited release of four Israeli hostages on Saturday, the latest to be freed under a Gaza ceasefire deal.Hundreds gathered at the square in the early morning in anticipation of the release of the four hostages, all women soldiers. Some attendees wore yellow t-shirts bearing the slogan: “You are not alone.”Many Israelis began to breathe a sigh of relief as the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which also sees Palestinian prisoners freed, got underway last Sunday after a 15-month ordeal.”I’m super excited, waves of excitement and happiness,” said Shlomi Ben Yakar, 54. “In the past it felt like a dream, and now it’s a good dream that is coming true.”All eyes were fixed anxiously on the screen for hours, awaiting the arrival of an International Committee of the Red Cross convoy at a square in the centre of Gaza City.As soon as the four women’s silhouettes appeared on the screen, cries of joy erupted, with many embracing one another tearfully in celebration.Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, all aged 20, and Liri Albag, 19, waved, smiled, and gave thumbs up as they were paraded on a stage in Gaza City, flanked by masked and armed militants.”The feeling is great, excitement, tears and joy, it’s all at once,” said Sima Ben Naim, a 70-year-old from Tel Aviv.”It’s not only happiness, we also have tears, and I hope all (the hostages) will return.”One woman cried and laughed holding up a picture of Levy, under whose name appeared the number 19, struck through and corrected with the number 20, indicating the age she turned while in captivity.There were more scenes of jubilation when Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced on live television that the four women had arrived in Israel, after 477 days in war-ravaged Gaza.- ‘Bring them home’ -Hana Mamalia, a 71-year-old from Ramat Hasharon, told AFP: “I almost fainted, my husband had to hold me, I have no voice, it’s good, I hope all will return home in peace. Amen!”Militants seized 251 hostages during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack which triggered the war. Of those, 87 remain in Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead.The first, six-week phase of the ceasefire that began on Sunday should see the staggered release of a total of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.”Bring them home now!” shouted a group of women in the crowd in Tel Aviv, echoing the slogan of the Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group.Many fear for the fate of the remaining hostages as far-right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition oppose the ceasefire.Hours after Saturday’s hostage release was completed, thousands of protesters again gathered in Tel Aviv as they have done weekly throughout the war to pressure the authorities to secure the release of hostages.An AFP correspondent said the demonstrators chanted in support of the return of all remaining hostages, including those not slated for release during the first phase of the truce.”The families cannot breathe. We are under immense stress… We will do everything, we will fight until the end, until the last hostage” returns, said Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is still held in Gaza.Efrat Machikava, niece of hostage Gadi Mozes, said that “our hearts are filled with joy for the four hostages who returned to us today, but we are extremely concerned for our loved ones still held in terrorist captivity.”

Clutching Hamas-branded gift bags and wearing military fatigues, the four Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas on Saturday to the Red Cross waved and gave thumbs up as they were paraded on stage before dozens of militants and a huge crowd.Hundreds of Gaza residents who gathered to watch the scene responded with cheers, whistles and shouts before the women were escorted off stage and into the hands of the Red Cross, an AFP reporter said.In contrast to chaotic scenes the week before, when crowds threatened to overwhelm vehicles holding the three hostages released at the time, hundreds of the militants arrived before the handover and quickly established a cordon keeping the crowd well away from the slick handover proceedings.Masked, armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants had arrived at Palestine Square in SUVs and on motorcycles with sirens blaring shortly before 9:30 AM (0730 GMT), an AFP reporter saw.Carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers they fanned out across the square, many carrying their groups’ banners and wearing green headbands, as local residents gathered.Sources from Hamas and Islamic Jihad told AFP they had deployed around 200 members of their armed wings, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades and the Al-Quds Brigades respectively, to secure Palestine Square where the handover was to happen.Footage released later by the Hamas armed wing showed the women before their release being given the gift bags, which included woolly hats, key chains and framed certificates commemorating the “Al-Aqsa Flood deal”, using the name given by the Palestinian group to its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.Speaking to camera while still being held hostage, the women thanked the militants for feeding, clothing and looking after them.- ‘Release certificates ‘-Off to one side, dozens of Gazans including young children and teenagers had scaled a huge mound of rubble in front of a collapsed building to secure a view of the expected release.Just under 90 minutes later, a convoy of four white SUVs from the International Committee of the Red Cross arrived and entered the small square staked out by the fighters. Minutes later, five cars carrying the hostages arrived. On a stage flanked by pickup trucks mounted with high-calibre guns, a Red Cross staff member in a bright red cargo vest sat at a desk alongside a masked Hamas fighter in the group’s distinctive headband and camouflage fatigues.Behind them stood the Palestine Shopping Centre, pockmarked with the scars of bombings and adorned with a giant Palestinian flag.The two men signed “release certificates” for the hostages, with a sign beneath them adorned with the emblems of the Israeli military and security services and the accompanying message in Hebrew: “Zionism will not prevail”.Shortly after, the four hostages emerged to whistles, cheers and shouts from the crowd, as Hamas camera crews and photographers swarmed around them.The women, all wearing green military fatigues with their hair up in high ponytails were then escorted onto the stage where they smiled, waved and gave thumbs up to the crowd who shouted cheerfully back and whistled.Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy — all aged 20 — and Liri Albag, 19, were all captured from a military surveillance base in Nahal Oz during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. Moments later, they were escorted off the stage and into the Red Cross SUVs which drove off through the crowd, past buildings devastated by more than 15 months of war. str-az-skl-dcp/jd/ami