Israel releases 90 Palestinian prisoners

People make their way past the rubble of houses in Rafah a day after the ceasefire deal. Pic/AFP

Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees early on Monday, hours after three Israeli hostages released from Hamas captivity in Gaza returned to Israel. Large white buses carrying the detainees exited the gates of Israel's Ofer prison, just outside the West Bank city of Ramallah, as celebratory fireworks erupted overhead. Crowds of Palestinians thronged the buses, chanting and cheering.

According to a list provided by the Palestinian Authority's Commission for Prisoners' Affairs, all of those released were women or minors. Israel detained all of the people on the list for what it said were offences related to the country's security, from throwing stones to more serious accusations.

The Israeli military, which occupies the West Bank, warned Palestinians against any form of public celebration. The release took place in the middle of the night, in what Palestinians criticised as an attempt to dampen the mood and deter crowds from welcoming the prisoners home.

Houthis to limit attacks in Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi rebels have signalled they will limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to only Israeli-affiliated ships as a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip took hold. The Houthis made the announcement in an email sent to shippers and others on Sunday. The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels since October 2023.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever