Live: Israel delays release of 602 Palestinian prisoners

Hamas released three Israeli captives on Saturday, while Israel began releasing some 369 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the latest swap under a fragile ceasefire deal.

Flanked by Hamas fighters, the captives - Sagui Dekel-Chen, Alexander Sasha Troufanov and Iair Horn - were led on to a stage at the release site in Khan Younis, according to live footage.

The three captives, speaking briefly to the crowd through a microphone, urged further hostage exchanges under the ongoing ceasefire deal before being driven away in Red Cross vehicles into Israel.

Shortly afterwards, the first bus carrying freed Palestinian prisoners and detainees left Israel's Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank. The bus arrived in Ramallah to a cheering crowd, with some waving Palestinian flags. 

Dressed in traditional keffiyeh scarves, the prisoners were lifted on to the shoulders, embraced by their relatives and then taken for a brief health examination.

Read more: Hamas releases three Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners

The Israeli military has stated that it conducted an air strike in southern Lebanon on Friday, targeting what it described as a high-ranking member of Hezbollah’s aerial unit.

In a statement, the military claimed, “The terrorist was targeted after repeatedly violating the understandings between Israel and Lebanon over the past few weeks, including his role in leading the launch of UAVs [drones] towards Israeli territory.” The identity of the individual was not disclosed.

Iran has expressed its willingness to engage in “constructive talks” with Lebanon to resolve the issue of resuming flights between Tehran and Beirut.

This comes after Lebanon’s decision to bar two Iranian flights from landing sparked violent protests in Beirut.

During a phone conversation, the foreign ministers of both countries discussed resolving the dispute over civil aviation and “affirmed their readiness to hold constructive talks in good faith,” according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of threatening a passenger plane carrying Lebanese citizens from Tehran, which disrupted operations at Beirut airport.

Baghaei condemned the Israeli actions as a blatant violation of international law, highlighting Israel’s destabilising role in the region.

Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen has reported that an Israeli attack on a vehicle in the village of Jarjouaa resulted in two fatalities and three injuries. The strike is the latest in a series of aggressive actions by Israel in southern Lebanon.

Israeli occupation forces are pressuring Hani Awida, a resident of occupied Jerusalem, to demolish his home in the Wadi Qaddum neighbourhood of Silwan, Al Jazaeera Arabic reported. 

The town, located in the holy city, has long been a target of Israeli policies aimed at displacing Palestinian families and consolidating control over the area.

This forced demolition is part of a broader strategy by Israeli authorities to systematically erase Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.

Hossam Zaki, the Arab League’s assistant secretary-general, has denounced the slow pace of aid deliveries to Gaza as “unacceptable from both a humanitarian and moral standpoint,” as reported by Egypt’s Al-Qahera News Channel.

Speaking at a press conference near the Rafah border crossing, Zaki urged the international community to pressure Israel to lift its restrictions and allow essential supplies to reach the besieged enclave.  

Hamas has repeatedly accused Israel of obstructing aid, particularly materials needed for shelter, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s population.

Since October 2023, nearly 2 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been forcibly displaced, facing severe shortages of food, water, and medicine due to Israel’s deliberate restrictions.  

Critics argue that Israel’s actions amount to collective punishment, violating international law and deepening the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli military, have carried out an assault on the Palestinian village of Jalud, located south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.  

Activist Bashar al-Qaryouti stated that the settlers, under the protection of Israeli forces, targeted homes and fired live ammunition, sparking clashes with local residents.

No casualties have been reported so far, but the incident underscores the escalating aggression faced by Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Critics argue that such attacks, often facilitated by the Israeli military, are part of a systematic effort to displace Palestinians and expand illegal settlements. 

Lebanese authorities arrested more than 25 people on Saturday following an attack on a United Nations convoy that wounded two peacekeepers the day before, the interior minister said in a statement.

UN and Lebanese officials have condemned Friday's attack, which came as Hezbollah supporters blocked the road to the country's only international airport for a second night in protest against a decision barring two Iranian planes from landing.

"More than 25 people have been arrested by Lebanese army intelligence", with another person detained by the security services, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar told reporters after an emergency security meeting Saturday.

"This does not mean these detainees carried out the attack... but the investigations will show who is responsible," he said.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) has demanded a "full and immediate investigation" after one of its vehicles was set on fire in the attack, which wounded outgoing Deputy Commander Chok Bahadur Dhakal and a second Nepalese peacekeeper.

Read more: Lebanese authorities arrest 25 after attack on UN peacekeepers

Freed Palestinian detainees have informed Al Jazeera Arabic that Israeli occupation forces issued explicit threats to all prisoners released on Saturday.

They were warned against expressing gratitude towards Gaza or the resistance, or speaking out about the torture they endured during their imprisonment in Israeli jails.

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa), has warned that the agency is at a critical juncture due to a sustained misinformation campaign led by the Israeli government.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Lazzarini condemned the campaign, which includes billboards and advertisements in the US, Europe, and Australia, falsely accusing Unrwa of supporting “terrorism”.  

Lazzarini stressed that this campaign has heightened risks for Unrwa staff, particularly in the West Bank and Gaza, where 273 agency employees have already been killed.

“These baseless accusations are not only defamatory but also put the lives of our personnel in grave danger,” he said.  

He argued that the Israeli government’s ultimate aim is to undermine the refugee status of Palestinians. “The attacks on Unrwa are designed to delegitimise the rights of Palestinian refugees, stripping them of their internationally recognised protections,”

Lazzarini stated. However, he clarified that the rights of Palestinian refugees to protection and assistance are inherent and do not depend on Unrwa’s existence.  

Critics have accused Israel of employing such tactics as part of a broader strategy to dismantle support for Palestinian refugees, thereby weakening their claims to justice and self-determination.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised concerns about the manner in which detainee-captive exchanges have been conducted.

The agency urged that "more must be done by all sides" to ensure future releases are conducted in a "dignified and private manner".

It added that “it is crucial” for all parties to abide by the agreement “to ensure that more families can be reunited, and life-saving humanitarian work can continue”.

Videos circulating online show recently freed Palestinian detainees set light to shirts they were forced to wear by Israeli forces.

The shirts are emblazoned with the Star of David and the slogan "We do not forget and we do not forgive" in Arabic.

إحراق ملابس الاحتلال التي أُجبر أسرى قطاع غزة على ارتدائها قبل تحررهم بصفقة المقاومة pic.twitter.com/6864fsTDfz

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 15, 2025

A 14-year-old Palestinian child has been wounded by ammunition shrapnel fired by Israeli forces southwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency is reporting citing medical sources.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that the child had been struck in the neck by live bullet shrapnel as Israeli forces raided the village of Tal.

PRCS added that its teams provided treatment in the field.

Israeli troops had stormd the village, firing live bullets and tear gas, according to Wafa.

The US must ensure that Israel adheres to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Hamas said in a statement on Saturday.

"The United States must compel the occupation to adhere to the agreement if it truly cares about the prisoners'  lives," said Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for Hamas, in a statement issued after Gaza militants freed three captives earlier in the day.

Reporting by AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold talks with senior Israeli officials at 7pm local time (5pm GMT), coinciding with the deadline for Trump's ultimatum regarding the release of all captives held in Gaza.