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Joy in Israel at hostage release but fears for those still held

The crowds in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square” cheered and whooped with joy late Sunday at the news that the first three hostages freed under the Gaza ceasefire deal had returned to Israel.There was elation among those who had waited for hours in the plaza in the centre of Israel’s commercial hub opposite Israeli military headquarters.The good news of the release of the three women was tempered by the knowledge that so many hostages still remained captives of Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, however.A total of 33 Israeli hostages, 31 of whom taken by militants during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce, in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.Palestinian militants took 251 people hostage on October 7, with 91 still in Gaza after Sunday’s release, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.AFPTV footage showed the hushed crowd watching 24-hour coverage on a large screen from mid-afternoon, waiting for any sign that the hostage release was really going ahead.Arms crossed and amid looks of concern, they watched the footage showing masked Hamas fighters in Gaza trying to control crowds of people who had gathered to see the three hostages being handed over to the Red Cross.At the first glimpse of the hostages in the back of a car in Gaza, surrounded by Hamas fighters, the Israeli onlookers in Tel Aviv burst into a brief moment of applause and cheering before falling silent again.Now they looked on, smiling and filming the moment, finally allowing themselves to believe that hostages were finally coming home after so much false hope.One young woman in the crowd wept openly as next to her a jubilant moustachioed man bounced up and down with excitement.More cheering followed when it was confirmed by Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari that the three women — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher — were back in Israel and finally free after 471 days as captives in Gaza.A video later released by the Israeli military showed families of the three screaming, jumping for joy and crying as they watched their relatives returning home.In Jerusalem, President Isaac Herzog had opted to head to the Old City’s Western Wall to pray for the three. The ancient retaining wall stands beneath the holiest place in Judaism, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.The Hostages and Families Forum said: “Their return today represents a beacon of light in the darkness, a moment of hope and triumph of the human spirit. For their families and for all of us, this is a moment that will be forever etched in our memory.””Their return reminds us of our profound responsibility to continue working towards the release of everyone — until the last hostage returns home.”Amid the jubilation in Israel, a large digital clock beside the main stage in Tel Aviv counts every second that hostages have been held in Gaza.It continues to tick for the 91 still captive in the Palestinian territory.

After celebrations, displaced Gazans return home to destruction

Columns of people hundreds strong were making their way home in northern Gaza on Sunday, flanked on both sides by countless buildings turned to rubble, as a ceasefire took effect in the Palestinian territory.In places, they crossed an ashen landscape, heaped with pulverised concrete and studded with the skeletons of ruined buildings.They walked towards the northern city of Jabalia in a haze of dust raised by the movement of hundreds of feet and vehicles over sandy soil on roads stripped of their paving.In parts where the pavement remained, it was covered by layers of dust and debris.”We came here at six in the morning to find massive, unprecedented destruction,” said Walid Abu Jiab, a displaced Gazan who returned to his home in Jabalia.”There is nothing left in the north worth living for,” he told AFP.On either side of the road, former apartment buildings lay collapsed after months of Israeli shelling and air strikes during a military operation focused intently on the north of the Palestinian territory.The Israeli military began an intensive campaign in northern Gaza including Jabalia in early October 2023, saying it aimed to keep Hamas fighters from regrouping there after another operation in the south.After initially surrounding Jabalia, the military urged civilians across northern areas to evacuate. Those who stayed endured some of the war’s most devastating airstrikes and a stringent aid blockade in Gaza.Rana Mohsen, who was displaced from Jabalia to Gaza city, said she didn’t wait for the official start of the ceasefire.”We’ve been waiting for this moment for 16 months,” said the 43-year-old mother of three.”My joy is indescribable. We are finally in our home. There is no home left, just rubble, but it’s our home. We are lucky because part of the roof is still intact”, she told AFP.”The extent of the destruction is unimaginable. Buildings and landmarks have completely disappeared, as if it were a ghost town or abandoned cities.”- ‘I’m going to Rafah’ -Despite the damage, Sunday gave way to scenes of joy and jubilation, despite the ceasefire being delayed by several hours.In the southern city of Khan Yunis, crowds gathered in the streets and cheered as armed men paraded in pick-ups, Kalashnikov assault rifles held aloft, firing into the air in celebration.Hundreds of people gathered at a junction playing drums, waving Palestinian flags and chanting.”This joy is more beautiful than the joy of Eid, and this is the most beautiful pleasure,” a man told AFP from the window of his car, which was packed with his family and all his belongings. “I’m going to Rafah,” he added excitedly, even as his car was forced to a complete stop by the mass of celebrating Palestinians.In Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, people began returning in droves before the ceasefire even went into effect, with Israel having delayed the implementation by nearly three hours, saying it had not received a list of hostages to be released by Hamas.Ahmad al-Balawi, a resident of Rafah, returned as soon as he could.”As soon as I returned to the city, I felt a shock”, he told AFP, describing “Decomposing bodies, rubble, and destruction everywhere.””Entire areas have been completely wiped out”, he said.The war in Gaza was sparked by the militant group’s surprise October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 46,913 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.- ‘We will rebuild’ -“The residents have returned to the city of Rafah, even though it is no longer a city. Thousands of citizens are on their way back,” said Muhammad al-Shaer, a displaced resident.Taking all their remaining belongings with them, residents moved by truck, donkey-drawn cart, bicycle and on foot towards Rafah, carrying everything from large water tanks to mattresses.In the central city of Nuseirat, jubilant children thronged the streets, and members of Hamas’s security forces patrolled armed and in uniform shortly before the ceasefire came into effect.In Gaza City, a convoy of bulldozers set to clearing the streets of rubble and rubbish accumulated during the last 15 months, in which public services were halted by the war. In the distance, celebratory gunshots echoed.Gaza City municipality spokesman Asem Alnabih said on X that the city would facilitate the return of its residents.”We are starting today to reopen the main roads in Gaza City, preparing for the return of our displaced citizens”, he wrote.Walid Abu Jalboa from Jabalia said he had begun to think of the future.”God willing, with our will, faith in God, and strength, we will rebuild and live.”

First post-ceasefire aid trucks enter Gaza: UN

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect, the United Nations said.”First trucks of supplies started entering” minutes after the ceasefire took effect on Sunday morning, UN aid official Jonathan Whittall, interim chief of the UN’s OCHA aid agency for the Palestinian territories, said on X.”A massive effort has been underway over the past days from humanitarian partners to load and prepare to distribute a surge of aid across all of Gaza.”An Egyptian source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “260 trucks of aid and 16 of fuel” moved into the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza and the Nitzana crossing between Egypt and Israel before entering Gaza.On Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, whose country mediated the deal along with Qatar and the United States, said it provides for “the entry of 600 trucks per day to the Strip, including 50 trucks of fuel”.On Sunday, AFP journalists saw hundreds of trucks carrying aid at the Rafah border crossing and around El-Arish, 50 kilometres (31 miles) west.The vehicles were waiting to proceed to the Israeli crossings with Egypt at Kerem Shalom and Nitzana for screening before being allowed in to Gaza.Some trucks returned empty after offloading their cargo, and around a dozen ambulances were also seen driving out of the main Rafah gate.The Rafah crossing — previously a vital entry point for aid — has been closed since May, when Israeli forces seized it on the Palestinian side.Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson Nebal Farsakh told AFP Sunday that “the Israeli authorities control the process of receiving aid”, adding that “the mechanisms for receiving these trucks and the crossing points through which they will enter remain unclear”.Humanitarian workers have warned of the monumental challenges that could impede aid operations, including the destruction of infrastructure that previously processed shipments.Sunday’s truce comes after more than 15 months of war sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, the deadliest in Israeli history.It follows a deal brokered by the three international mediators after months of negotiations, and comes on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president.By December 1, nearly 69 percent of the Palestinian territory’s buildings had been destroyed or damaged in the conflict, according to the United Nations.Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once.The start of Sunday’s truce saw many of them begin heading to their home areas through an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings.

Displaced Gazans head home through rubble as Israel-Hamas truce begins

Thousands of displaced, war-weary Gazans set off across the devastated Palestinian territory to return to their home areas on Sunday, after a long-awaited truce between Israel and Hamas took effect following an initial delay.Minutes after the truce began, the UN said, the first trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza, where many residents are returning to nothing.The ceasefire began nearly three hours later than scheduled. During the delay, Israel’s military said it was continuing to operate, with the territory’s civil defence agency reporting 19 people killed and 25 wounded in bombardments. Thousands of Gazans carrying tents, clothes and their personal belongings were seen heading back to their homes, after more than 15 months of war that displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s population, in many cases more than once.In the northern area of Jabalia, hundreds streamed down a sandy path, returning to an apocalyptic landscape piled with rubble and destroyed buildings. “We came here at six in the morning to find massive, unprecedented destruction,” said Walid Abu Jiab, who returned to Jabalia.”There is nothing left in the north worth living for.” In the southern city of Khan Yunis, people who had not yet returned celebrated their pending homecoming.”I’m very, very happy,” said Wafa al-Habeel. “I want to go back and kiss the ground and the soil of Gaza. I am longing for Gaza (City) and longing for our loved ones.”- ‘Massive’ aid effort -Aid workers say northern Gaza is particularly hard-hit, lacking all essentials including food, shelter and water.Jonathan Whittall, interim chief of the UN’s OCHA humanitarian agency for the Palestinian territories, said on X that the first trucks started entering following the truce, after “a massive effort” to prepare for a surge of aid across the territory.Hundreds of trucks had been waiting at the Gaza border, poised to enter. Some were loaded with prefabricated houses.The truce had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 am (0630 GMT) but a last-minute dispute over the list of hostages to be freed on the first day led to the holdup.Qatar, a mediator of the truce, later confirmed it had gone into effect.The Hostage and Missing Families Forum campaign group identified the three women set to be released as Emily Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher. Hamas said it was waiting for Israel to furnish “a list containing the names of 90 prisoners from the categories of women and children” also to be released on the first day.A total of 33 hostages taken by militants during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel will be returned from Gaza during an initial 42-day truce, in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli custody.The truce is intended to pave the way for a permanent end to the war, but a second phase has yet to be finalised.It follows a deal struck by Qatar, the United States and Egypt after months of negotiations that had generated false hopes.In a televised address on Saturday, Netanyahu called the  42-day first phase a “temporary ceasefire” and said Israel had US support to return to the war if necessary.In Gaza City, well before the ceasefire went into effect, people were already celebrating, waving Palestinian flags in the street.The Israeli army warned Gaza residents early Sunday not to approach its forces or Israeli territory.”We urge you not to head towards the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram, adding that “moving from south to north via Gaza Valley puts you at risk”.In Israel, the ceasefire was met with guarded optimism.”I don’t trust our side or their side,” said taxi driver David Gutterman. “Always at the last moment something, a problem, can pop up, but all in all I’m really happy.”Shai Zaik, an employee at Tel Aviv’s art museum, said he had “mixed feelings” but was “full of hope” that the hostages would return after so many disappointments in the last year.”  Israel has prepared reception centres to provide medical treatment and counselling to the freed hostages before they return to their families. Health workers have warned of the psychological challenges the captives will face upon release.- 600 trucks -Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said 600 trucks a day would enter Gaza after the ceasefire took effect, including 50 carrying fuel.The war’s only previous truce, for one week in November 2023, also saw the release of hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.Hamas’s October 7 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history, resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of Gaza, killing at least 46,913 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.The truce took effect on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second term as president of the United States.Trump, who claimed credit for the ceasefire deal after months of effort by the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, told US network NBC on Saturday that he had told Netanyahu the war “has to end”.”We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done,” he said.Under the deal, Israeli forces will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and allow displaced Palestinians to return “to their residences”, Qatar’s prime minister said in announcing the deal.burs/smw/it/dv

Syria destroys millions of captagon pills, other drugs: official

Syrian security forces destroyed seized drugs Sunday including around 100 million pills of the amphetamine-like stimulant captagon — whose production and trafficking flourished under ousted president Bashar al-Assad, an official said.A 2022 AFP investigation found that Syria under Assad had become a narco state, with the $10-billion captagon industry dwarfing all other exports and funding both his regime and many of his enemies.”We destroyed large quantities of narcotic pills,” said official Badr Youssef, including “about 100 million captagon pills and 10 to 15 tonnes of hashish” as well as raw materials used to produce captagon.He spoke from the Damascus headquarters of the defunct Fourth Division where the drugs were seized. The Fourth Division, a notorious branch of the Syrian army, was controlled by Assad’s brother Maher.The official SANA news agency said “the anti-narcotics department of the (interior) ministry is destroying narcotic substances seized at the headquarters of the Fourth Division”.An AFP photographer saw security personnel in a Fourth Division warehouse load dozens of bags filled with pills and other drugs into trucks, before taking them to a field to be burned.On December 8, Islamist-led rebels ousted Assad after a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks. The army and Assad’s security apparatus collapsed as the new authorities seized control of Damascus.On Saturday, SANA reported that authorities had seized “a huge warehouse belonging to the former regime” in the coastal city of Latakia. It said the factory “specialised in packing captagon pills into children’s toys and furniture”.On Sunday, an AFP photographer visited the warehouse near the port and saw security personnel dismantling children’s bicycles that contained the small white pills.Captagon pills had also been hidden inside objects such as doors, shisha water pipes and car parts, he reported.Abu Rayyan, a security official in Latakia, said that “about 50 to 60 million captagon pills” had been seized that “belonged to the Fourth Division”.”This is the largest such warehouse in the area,” he said.Abu Rayyan said the drugs had been packed for export from Latakia “to neighbouring countries”, and that they would be destroyed.strs-lk/aya/srm