Wall Street stocks were mixed at the end of a choppy session Wednesday as US President Donald Trump signaled plans for tariffs on the European Union.While the Dow retreated, the tech-focused Nasdaq pushed higher in anticipation of earnings from artificial intelligence giant Nvidia.After the trading day, Nvidia reported net income of $22 billion on an …
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Hamas will forgo its usual handover ceremony when it returns the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Wednesday night, with Israel expected to free more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, the militant group said.The swap will be the final one under the first phase of a fragile Gaza ceasefire deal that went into effect on January 19.Hamas’s armed wing said Wednesday that under the “framework of the deal, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades have decided to hand over the bodies of four hostages tonight”.Israeli media identified the four as Ohad Yahalomi, Tsachi Idan, Itzik Elgarat and Shlomo Mansour, confirming names given earlier by Hamas. Israeli officials and a campaign group advocating on behalf of the hostages’ families have yet to confirm the names.A Hamas official told AFP that in return for their remains, Israel would release 625 Palestinian prisoners.The official also said the return of the four bodies would take place in private “to prevent the occupation from finding any pretext for delay or obstruction”.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the handover was set for Wednesday night, “without Hamas ceremonies”.Hamas has conducted past handovers in public spaces, with hostages paraded on stage, given certificates and gift bags, and often made to speak in front of crowds.The spectacles — particularly one in which coffins carrying the remains of dead hostages were displayed — have drawn outrage in Israel, which halted the planned release of prisoners during last week’s exchange to protest what it called the “humiliating ceremonies”.A second Hamas official familiar with the exchange told AFP that the Palestinian prisoners whose releases were delayed would be freed as soon as the bodies were returned on Wednesday.”Hamas will hand over the bodies of the four Israeli prisoners by midnight, and in return, Israeli authorities will release the Palestinian detainees and prisoners from the seventh batch simultaneously,” he told AFP.Another, smaller group of Palestinian women and minors due to be freed in return for the bodies would be released after Israeli authorities had verified the dead hostages’ identities, he added.”This arrangement was made based on a proposal presented by the mediators, which Hamas agreed to,” the official said.The Israel Prison Service said Wednesday that it was “making preparations for… releasing imprisoned terrorists in accordance with the agreement for the return of the hostages”.It did not, however, give any indication of the timing of the releases.- ‘Negotiations will begin’ -The ceasefire has largely halted the war sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and seen 25 hostages released alive so far in exchange for more than 1,100 prisoners.There have been sporadic incidents of violence, however.The Israeli military said it carried out air strikes on several launch sites inside Gaza after a projectile was fired from there on Wednesday, though the munition fell short inside the Palestinian territory.In Washington, President Donald Trump’s top envoy to the Middle East said Israeli representatives were en route to talks on the next phase of the ceasefire.”We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Steve Witkoff told an event for the American Jewish Committee.”It’s either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris.”The first phase of the deal is supposed to end on Saturday, but negotiations for the next stage — which were due to begin in early February — have not yet started.- Minute’s silence -On Wednesday, thousands gathered in Israel for the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in captivity in Gaza and had become symbols of the country’s hostage ordeal.The Israeli parliament held a minute of silence to mourn their deaths, as well as those of other victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack.”Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas is taking place. We remember all the victims of October 7. We remember, and we will not forget,” said speaker Amir Ohana.Hamas and its allies took 251 hostages that day, with 62 still held in Gaza, 35 of whom are dead.Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after the attack, the deadliest in the country’s history and has made bringing back all the hostages a central war aim.The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,215 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliation in Gaza has killed more than 48,348 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the United Nations considers credible.- ‘Shiri, I’m sorry’ -At Bibas family funeral on Wednesday, father Yarden Bibas, who was abducted separately on October 7 and released alive in a previous exchange, apologised to his late wife and sons.”Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all,” he said in his eulogy, his voice cracking.The Israeli national anthem was played as the funeral convoy passed through a crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.”The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7,” said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP.”The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood.”
The UN rights chief on Wednesday rejected as “unlawful” proposals for the annexation of or forced transfer from Palestinian territories, warning they posed a threat to the entire region.”We must resist any normalisation of unlawful conduct, including proposals for annexation or forced transfer,” Volker Turk told the United Nations Human Rights Council.Such proposals “could threaten the peace and security of Palestinians and Israelis, and of the wider region”, he warned, insisting that “this is the moment for voices of reason to prevail”.Turk did not give details, but there have been rising levels of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and calls for annexation after Israel announced expanded military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly proposed emptying war-ravaged Gaza of Palestinians.He has floated the idea of a US takeover of Gaza under which its Palestinian population would be relocated — a proposal met with widespread condemnation, but welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Trump later appeared to soften his plan, saying he was only recommending the idea, and conceding that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt — the proposed destinations for relocated Gazans — had rejected any effort to move Palestinians against their will.But the US president’s official social media accounts on Wednesday posted an apparently AI-generated video depicting war-ravaged Gaza rebuilt into a seaside resort, replete with a towering golden statue of Trump himself.- ‘Impunity begets more violence’ -Presenting a fresh report on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, Turk said Wednesday: “We urgently need to end the conflict.”To do so, he said it was vital to hold accountable perpetrators of a vast array of abuses committed since the war in Gaza erupted after Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023 attacks inside Israel. “Israel’s means and methods of warfare have caused staggering levels of casualties and destruction, raising concerns over the commission of war crimes and other possible atrocity crimes,” he said.But he raised “serious doubts” about the Israeli justice system’s ability to deliver justice “notably in relation to the unlawful killing of Palestinians in Gaza or in the West Bank”.He also noted that “Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have taken, held, and tortured hostages in Gaza, and have indiscriminately fired projectiles into Israeli territory, amounting to war crimes”.To his knowledge, none of these groups had taken measures to punish those responsible, he said, adding that such “impunity begets more violence”.So to did “delegitimising and threatening international institutions that are there to serve people and uphold international law also harms us all”, he warned.All violations and abuses need to be investigated independently, he said.While Turk mentioned no names, earlier this month Washington sanctioned the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court Karim Khan over the ICC’s investigations targeting US personnel as well as alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.Khan was responsible for the request that led the ICC to issue arrest warrants late last year for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at a cemetery in southern Israel on Wednesday to bid a final farewell to Shiri Bibas and her two sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity and had become symbols in Israel of the hostages’ ordeal.Orange balloons symbolising the children’s red hair fluttered in the breeze from a fence near the cemetery, which is close to kibbutz Nir Oz, from where the Bibas family were seized by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023.Signs reading “sorry” and “the broken heart with the Bibas family” hung from a nearby fence.”Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all,” Yarden Bibas said in his eulogy at the funeral of his wife and two sons — Ariel and Kfir — who were aged four and nine months old at the time of their abduction.Hamas handed over the remains of Shiri and the two children last week as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, while Yarden Bibas was freed earlier this month.”Shiri, I love you and will always love you. Shiri, you are everything to me,” said Yarden, his voicechoking with emotion as he read his eulogy, which was televised live from the cemetery.The funeral was restricted to close family and was not open to the media.”Ariel, I hope you’re not angry with me for failing to protect you properly and for not being there for you,” he said.”I hope you know I thought about you every day, every minute. I hope you’re enjoying paradise.”Remembering Kfir, he said: “You brought more light and happiness to our little home. You came with your sweet, captivating laugh and smile, and I was instantly hooked! It was impossible not to nibble on you all the time.”Shiri and her two sons were buried together in a single coffin, in a nod to the haunting images of their capture when she was seen tightly clutching her two children as militants took them to Gaza.The grave in the small cemetery was piled high with orange, yellow and white flowers, an AFP correspondent reported from the cemetery.Left-leaning newspaper Haaretz printed its front page entirely in orange.”An entire nation in tears bids farewell to Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. May they rest in peace,” it read.- ‘Take responsibility’ -During the funeral, Shiri Bibas’s sister-in-law, Ofri, called on all Israeli officials to take responsibility for the deaths, saying her loved ones could have been saved.”There is no meaning to forgiveness before the failures are investigated, and all officials take responsibility… They could have saved you but preferred revenge,” she said.Ahead of the funeral, a large crowd, many wearing orange and carrying Israeli flags, gathered in the Tel Aviv plaza dubbed Hostages Square to watch a live broadcast of the funeral. “Obviously all of our hearts are broken,” said Sherri Ettedgui who moved from Canada to Israel two months ago.”There’s actually no words that can express how we feel for this family, and so we wanted to come here today just to be with other people who are feeling the same and show our support.”Earlier in the day, thousands of mourners carrying flags and orange balloons joined the funeral procession heading to Zohar, near kibbutz Nir Oz.Israel’s national anthem was sung in hushed tones as the funeral convoy passed through the crowd in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.”The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7,” said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP. “The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood.”Dozens of people lit candles by the roadside.- ‘In the heart’ -“The Bibas family has got into all of us, in the heart,” said Aviv Nahman, 22, who was visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP. “I have a sister and nephews the exact same ages, so I felt an obligation to be here today.” The remains of the three Bibas family members were among the first to be returned under the truce deal which brought an end to more than 15 months of fighting in Gaza.The handover sparked anger in Israel when Hamas initially delivered a body that turned out not to be Shiri’s. The militant group blamed a “mix-up” and handed over the correct remains the following day.Hamas has long insisted that an Israeli air strike killed Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas early in the war, but an Israeli post-mortem found no evidence of blast injuries.
Indonesia has struck a deal with Apple for the tech giant to invest in the country, its industry minister and the company said Wednesday, in a move that could end a ban on iPhone 16 sales in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. The government in October prohibited the marketing and sale of the model over the US …
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Hamas will hand over the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday in what it said would be an exchange for more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, capping the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal.The United States said talks were on track for a second phase of the ceasefire deal that has largely held but whose complexity and long-drawn-out implementation have highlighted its fragility.In Israel on Wednesday, thousands of mourners gathered for the funeral of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in captivity in Gaza and had become symbols of the country’s hostage ordeal.The ceasefire has largely halted the Israel-Hamas war sparked by the October 7, 2023 attack, and has seen 25 hostages released alive so far in exchange for hundreds of prisoners.”Hamas and other resistance factions will hand over four bodies of Israeli captives,” a Hamas official told AFP, adding that in return, Israel would free 625 Palestinian prisoners in an exchange beginning on Thursday.Israel has reached an agreement with mediators for the return of the bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.In Washington, US President Donald Trump’s top envoy on the Middle East said Israeli representatives were en route to talks on the next phase of the ceasefire deal.”We’re making a lot of progress. Israel is sending a team right now as we speak,” Steve Witkoff told an event for the American Jewish Committee.”It’s either going to be in Doha or in Cairo, where negotiations will begin again with the Egyptians and the Qataris,” he said.This first phase is supposed to end on Saturday, but negotiations for the next stage — which were due to begin in early February — have not yet started.Hamas has said it is ready to release all the remaining hostages “in one go” during the second phase.On Sunday, the group accused Israel of endangering the Gaza truce by delaying the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners.Israel said it had concerns over how the hostages have been freed, with Netanyahu describing the handovers as “humiliating ceremonies”.Israel has yet to comment on whether it will release Palestinian prisoners on Thursday.According to the Hamas official, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity, 602 prisoners due for release last weekend would be freed on Thursday.Another 23, all women and minors, would also be released, he said.- Minute’s silence -The Israeli parliament held a minute of silence to mourn the deaths of three members of the Bibas family, as well as other victims of the October 2023 attack on Israel.”Yesterday, the funeral of Oded Lifshitz took place; today, the funeral of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas is taking place. We remember all the victims of October 7. We remember, and we will not forget,” said speaker Amir Ohana.Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, Hamas has released 25 living hostages in public ceremonies across Gaza, where masked, armed fighters have escorted the captives onto stages covered in slogans.Israel has released more than 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.The International Committee of the Red Cross has urged all parties to carry out prisoner and hostage swaps “in a dignified and private manner”.In Israel, the prisoners are largely viewed as “terrorists” for the violent attacks they have carried out against civilians and security forces.For Palestinians, however, the releases are viewed as long-delayed justice for prisoners regarded as symbols of resistance against Israeli occupation.The two sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, but it has so far largely held.Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after its 2023 attack, the deadliest in the country’s history, and has made bringing back all hostages seized that day a central war aim.The attack that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliation in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures that the United Nations considers credible.- Bibas family funeral -In Israel, thousands of mourners gathered for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons Kfir and Ariel.”Shiri, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you all,” freed Israeli hostage Yarden Bibas said in his eulogy at the funeral of his wife and two sons.The Israeli national anthem was played as the funeral convoy passed through the crowd of mourners in the central city of Rishon LeZion, where the remains of the three hostages had been prepared for burial.”The Bibas family, I think, is like the symbol of everything that happened to us since October 7,” said retired teacher Ayala Schlesinger Avidov, 72, visibly emotional as she spoke to AFP.”The two babies and the mother that did nothing to the world and were murdered in cold blood.”
