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Israeli occupation forces on Monday released 83 Palestinian detainees serving life sentences from Ofer Prison, as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.Earlier today, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that it had received 20 Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip in two groups and handed them over to the Israeli authorities.Under the exchange deal, Israeli occupation authorities are set to release 250 Palestinian detainees serving long life sentences — 83 from Ofer Prison and 167 from Ketziot Prison — in addition to 1,718 others arrested by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip after October 7, 2023.According to Palestinian institutions concerned with detainees' affairs, Israel currently holds more than 11,100 Palestinians in its prisons, amid dire conditions including torture, starvation, and systematic medical neglect, which have led to several deaths in custody. This figure does not include those held in Israeli military camps. The number of detainees from the Gaza Strip has risen to over 4,000 since the start of the war.The number of detainees sentenced to life imprisonment has reached 350, with indictments filed paving the way for additional sentences. There are 53 female prisoners, including three from Gaza and two girls, as well as about 400 children held in Ofer and Megiddo prisons. The number of administrative detainees — held without trial — has reached around 3,380 as of October, the institutions reported. (QNA)

The exchange of Palestinian detainees and Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip began Monday morning as part of the initial phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) receiving seven Israeli captives. Meanwhile, Palestine Red Crescent Society crews entered Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, to transfer a sick Palestinian detainee slated for release.The first phase of the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the war in the Gaza Strip includes the release of all living Israeli captives held in Gaza — a total of 20 people — in two groups. In addition, 28 bodies will be handed over gradually, depending on the progress of recovery efforts under the rubble in the Gaza Strip.In exchange, Israeli occupation authorities will release 250 Palestinian detainees serving life sentences, along with 1,718 detainees from Gaza who were arrested after the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.Authorities have transferred detainees designated for release from five central prisons to Ofer Prison, west of Ramallah, and others to Ketziot Prison in the Negev, in preparation for their transfer to the Gaza Strip and subsequently to Egypt.The swap process is being conducted under the supervision of an Egyptian-Qatari-US joint committee, which monitors the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.On Oct. 9, US President Trump announced an agreement to implement the first phase of his Middle East peace plan, which he had outlined earlier on Sept. 29. The plan calls for ending the war in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the exchange of captives and detainees.The ceasefire took effect last Friday, marking the start of the 72-hour deadline set by the agreement for completing the exchange process.According to organizations concerned with Palestinian detainees' affairs, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons exceeds 11,000, amid dire conditions including torture, starvation, and systematic medical neglect, which has led to several deaths in custody.The number of detainees sentenced to life imprisonment has reached 350, with indictments filed paving the way for additional sentences. There are 53 female prisoners, including three from Gaza and two girls, and about 400 child prisoners held in Ofer and Megiddo prisons. The number of administrative detainees — held without trial — has reached around 3,380 as of October, the institutions reported.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot an elderly Palestinian man on Sunday afternoon in the town of Al-Ram, north of the occupied Jerusalem (Al-Quds). The Palestinian news agency (WAFA) quoted Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) as saying that PRCS medics treated a 67-year-old civilian who sustained a severe gunshot wound to the thigh from live ammunition near the Israeli occupation's apartheid wall in Al-Ram, adding that he was transferred to the hospital for treatment. The cities, towns, and refugee camps of the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds are subjected to daily raids and incursions, bulldozing of land, uprooting of trees, and the seizure of property by the IOF and settlers. These raids are accompanied by clashes, arrests, and the firing of live and rubber bullets, as well as tear gas canisters at Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation forces continued their heavy artillery and airstrikes since last night and until Tuesday morning, killing and wounding several people. The Palestinian news agency (WAFA), citing medical sources, reported that three citizens were martyred and others wounded in the Israeli shelling of the Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City. The same sources added that a number of citizens were wounded in the Israeli artillery shelling of a residential apartment on Al-Shuhada Street in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza City. The Israeli occupation forces' air and artillery shelling continues in the southern and northwestern areas of Gaza City, and violent explosions are being heard in the Al-Karama and Al-Mukhabarat Towers areas, northwest of the city. Israeli warplanes are also flying at low altitudes in the Gaza Strip, and helicopters are firing at the center of Khan Yunis, south of the city. The war of genocide on the Gaza Strip is entering its second year. To date, this has resulted in the martyrdom of 67,160 civilians, the majority of whom are children and women, and the injury of 169,679 others. This is a preliminary toll, with a number of victims still buried under the rubble and in the streets, unable to be reached by ambulances and rescue teams.

Real peace in the Middle East won't be achieved unless an independent Palestinian state is created, based on the principles of international legitimacy that restore rights to their rightful owners, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi affirmed on Monday. During a speech marking the 52nd anniversary of Egypt's October War victory, El-Sisi stressed that peace imposed by force will only beget resentment, while peace based on justice generates genuine normalization and enduring coexistence among peoples. He warmly greeted and expressed appreciation to US President Donald Trump for his initiative to negotiate a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip following two years of war, genocide, killing, and devastation. In addition, President El-Sisi noted that a ceasefire, the return of hostages and prisoners, the redevelopment of Gaza, and the initiation of a peaceful political pathway toward the creation and recognition of a Palestinian state represent the correct track toward lasting peace and stability, as hoped by all.

Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.Organisers of the protest in Rome said hundreds of thousands of people had turned out for a fourth day running, after Israel intercepted the 45-strong flotilla seeking to reach Gaza earlier this week.Some 70,000 people, according to police, took to the streets in Barcelona, in one of several pro-Palestinian protests to take place across Spain.Elsewhere, several thousand people marched through the centre of the Irish capital, Dublin, to mark what organisers said was "two years of genocide" in Gaza.With Ireland, Spain is one of the fiercest European critics of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas militants' October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.But in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government has been criticised for its inaction on the siege of the Palestinian territory.On Saturday, Meloni accused demonstrators of defacing a statue of Pope John Paul II with graffiti in front of Rome's main train station, calling it a "shameful act"."They claim to take to the streets for peace, but they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace," she said in a statement.Protesters in the Italian capital, including families with children, shouted, "We are all Palestinians", "Free Palestine" and "Stop the genocide", with many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing black-and-white chequered keffiyehs."Usually, I don't appreciate large-scale demonstrations, but today, I couldn't bring myself to stay home," Donato Colucci, a 44-year-old scout leader accompanying 150 youths from a secular association, told AFP."I think countries like Italy, France, and Spain have developed a culture of resistance and democratic values more than others because they experienced dictatorship and violence."In Barcelona, Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating with a Palestinian flag on her back, said Israel's policy "has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets".The Global Sumud flotilla, which was intercepted on Wednesday, left Barcelona in early September and had been seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold.Around 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public television in an interview aired on Saturday.The flotilla organisers say Israel's actions were "illegal" since they intercepted the vessels while they were traversing international waters.Jordi Bas, a 40-year-old primary school teacher waving a Palestinian flag, said the huge turn-out was "predictable". "People are beginning to wake up a bit," he said."It's the only thing that can give them (Palestinians) a little encouragement, to see that the whole world is mobilising in solidarity with them," he added.On September 14, around 100,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators forced the halt of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in the Spanish capital, where an Israeli team was competing.Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be barred from international sport over the Gaza war, just as Russia was penalised over its invasion of Ukraine.In September, Spain said it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have been described by UN rights chief Volker Turk as a war crime.In Ireland, speakers called for sanctions on Israel and an immediate end to the conflict -- and Palestinian involvement in the ceasefire plan."Any plan that's made without the involvement of the leadership or the people involved has to be suspect," said John-Paul Murphy, a 37-year-old medical doctor.

The number of Palestinian journalists killed during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 254. In a statement on Wednesday, the government media office in Gaza said that the number of Palestinian journalists killed since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Strip has risen to 254, following the announcement of the martyrdom of journalists Sami Daoud and Yahya Mohammed Barzaq. The office called on the International Federation of Journalists, the Federation of Arab Journalists, and all journalistic organizations worldwide to condemn these "systematic crimes" against journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip. It also called for "serious and effective pressure" to halt the crime of genocide, protect journalists and media professionals in the Gaza Strip, and put an end to their killings and assassinations.

Nine Palestinian women and children were martyred and others seriously wounded Wednesday night when the Israeli occupation forces bombed a family home east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Local sources reported that the bombing completely destroyed the house, killing seven women and two children from one family. Civil defense and ambulance teams transported their bodies and the wounded to hospitals in central Gaza. In the same context, Israeli occupation forces renewed their artillery and air bombardment of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, while drones dropped explosive bombs on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of the Al-Nasr neighborhood in the west. Medical sources said that 85 Palestinians were martyred by Israeli forces in various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Wednesday and were taken to hospitals in Gaza. They explained that the geographical distribution of the martyrs included 53 in northern Gaza, 28 in central Gaza, and four in southern Gaza. The Israeli occupation continues its aggression after violating the ceasefire agreement on March 18, following a two-month hiatus, targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip, which has been facing an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy for nearly two years.

A Palestinian youth was shot by Israeli occupation forces on Sunday in the town of Al Ram in northern occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported that its medics treated the youth for a gunshot wound to the thigh near the separation wall in Al Ram. Israeli occupation forces are firing live ammunition deliberately and directly at Palestinians who are near the separation wall. Daily raids and incursions into villages and towns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem are a regular occurrence, with Israeli forces clashing with residents, making arrests, and using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas against Palestinian youth. This has escalated amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Tunisia affirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their right to resist and preserve their land, expressing its disappointment and frustration at the Security Council's inability to put an end to the horrific humanitarian tragedy, genocidal war and starvation to which the Palestinians are subjected to by the Israeli occupation. In a speech delivered at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti stressed that the occupation's crimes aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause and deny the Palestinian people their right to resist and preserve their land. He called on the international community to immediately assume its responsibilities by lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and all Palestinian territories, putting an end to the famine, and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian aid. He said, "We remain hopeful that we'll be able to build together a future that carries opportunities that meet the aspirations and the hopes of our people and future generations." The Tunisian Foreign Minister also emphasized that the process of reforming the UN and establishing a new phase of multilateral action can only be effective if it upholds the value of equality among human lives and avoids discrimination, selectivity, and double standards. He also addressed the issue of immigration, stressing Tunisia's categorical rejection of serving as a transit country or a place of residence for irregular migrants, victims of human trafficking networks. In this context, he said, "We renew our call to adopt a comprehensive approach to migration that takes into account the human and historical dimensions, and not just the narrow security dimension."

Palestinian civilians in several areas of the occupied West Bank were subjected to injuries, arrests, and assaults carried out by Israeli occupation forces and colonists, in a continuation of systematic measures that deepen the suffering of Palestinians through severe restrictions and relentless control over their daily life. In a statement, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a 12-year-old child was injured after being run over by an Israeli military vehicle in the city of Jericho and was transferred to hospital for treatment. In Beitunia, west of Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces detained three Palestinians during a raid, according to Palestinian security sources. The same sources added that colonists brutally assaulted another child in the Ein Jariot area near Beitunia, causing him to lose consciousness before he was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, in occupied Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Kafr Aqab, north of the city, firing tear gas canisters. No injuries were reported, according to local sources. The West Bank continues to witness heightened tensions due to Israeli settlement expansion and military violations. The situation has escalated sharply since the occupation launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

A young Palestinian man was martyred by Israeli gunfire on Wednesday in the village of Anza, south of Jenin, according to local sources. They said the victim was struck by a bullet in the back and rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his wounds.Israeli troops raided the village as students were on their way to school. Classes were disrupted and confrontations broke out between residents and the occupying forces. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained three children from the village of Deir Abu Mash'al, northwest of Ramallah, at dawn on Wednesday.Security sources told WAFA that the IOF detained the three children after raiding their homes and ransacking their contents. The same sources added that the IOF stormed the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, and drove their military vehicles through the streets, raiding several homes, and seizing several vehicles.The Israeli occupation forces continued their incursions, raiding Palestinian homes in the Qarawat Bani Hassan and al-Zawiya, west of Salfit, and assaulting Palestinian youths.