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Buses transporting Palestinian prisoners drive away from the Kziot prison in the Negev desert on Jan. 25, 2025. Israel is set to free 200 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for four Israeli women hostages in a swap on Jan. 25, as part of a ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza, Palestinian sources told AFP. (Photo: GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP)

Live MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

Lebanese Army deploys at four new locations; Hezbollah 'will take the necessary steps' to push for Israeli withdrawal | LIVE

What you need to know

70 of the 200 Palestinians released by Israel today will be relocated outside the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, according to Hamas.

Israeli forces continue advancing in southern Lebanon and will remain beyond the 60-day period stipulated in the agreement.

The Lebanese army accuses Israel of "procrastination" in its withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Israel orders residents of around 60 Lebanese villages not to return to their homes.


21:31 Beirut Time

Thank you for following our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East. 


We will resume reporting in the morning. 

21:30 Beirut Time

A White House source confirmed that Trump has lifted the freeze on the transfer of heavy munitions to Israel imposed by Biden at the end of his term, Haaretz reported.

21:29 Beirut Time

Demonstration in front of the Israeli Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Jan. 25, 2025. (Credit: Jack Guez/AFP)

Demonstrations calling for a hostage agreement and protesting Netanyahu’s government took place on Saturday in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and other parts of the country, according to Haaretz.


During the protests, the hostages' families stated that they "demand Netanyahu commit to fully implementing the hostage deal."


In her weekly statement outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, Einav Zangauker, the mother of a hostage still held in Gaza, Matan Zangauker, appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to commit to the agreement.

21:10 Beirut Time

The Israeli army killed at least one and injured three others when it opened fire on Palestinians preparing to return to northern Gaza near the Netzarim corridor, close to Gaza City, Al Jazeera reported. 


“What we saw on al-Rashid Street is beyond comprehension and is yet another violation of the cease-fire. People were setting up makeshift tents while waiting for permission to cross the Netzarim corridor and return to their homes following the release of the second group of Israeli prisoners,” a local correspondent for the Qatari outlet said.


The correspondent added that Israeli drones have been flying over the Palestinian enclave for the second time since Saturday morning.

21:08 Beirut Time

The Israeli army raided the homes of at least two Palestinians recently released as part of the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel, according to Al Jazeera.


The raids targeted the homes of Ayman Mohammad Ali in a village south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, and Ashraf al-Zaghir in Kafr Aqab, north of occupied East Jerusalem. Al-Zaghir’s brother was reportedly arrested just hours after his release from Ofer prison, the Qatari news outlet added.


The Israeli army also banned celebrations after a Hamas flag was raised during a rally marking the prisoners’ return. Local sources told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that the Israeli army opened fire during the raid, injuring two people.


In a separate incident, the Israeli army carried out a raid in Qarawat Bani Zeid, northwest of Ramallah, disrupting a celebration for the return of released prisoner Said Nasser Arar.

19:47 Beirut Time

The four Israeli soldiers released are in "stable condition", the hospital where they were admitted near Tel Aviv announced on Sunday, after initial medical examinations.

"I am happy to be able to say that their health condition is stable," Dr. Lena Koren Feldman, deputy director of the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikvah, told reporters. "As expected, [their] long captivity in trying conditions is visible," she said.


"This is a very happy moment that we have been waiting for a long time," Netanyahu said by phone to the parents of one of the four young women, Liri Albag, according to a statement from his office.

19:46 Beirut Time

A loud explosion was caused by the Israeli army in the area of Ras al-Dahr, located on the western outskirts of the village of Mais al-Jabal (Marjayoun district), reported our regional correspondent.

19:23 Beirut Time

Several Hezbollah representatives denounced the extension of the Israeli army’s "occupation" in southern Lebanon, which exceeds the deadline set by the cease-fire agreement scheduled to take effect this Sunday.


“The continued presence of the enemy on our territory is unacceptable and constitutes an occupation,” said Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, who represents Baalbeck-Hermel. He made the remarks during a memorial ceremony honoring the fighters who died in the war against Israel.


“We in the Resistance and Hezbollah are closely monitoring the situation, maintaining communication with Lebanese officials, and will take necessary measures, announcing these at the appropriate time,” he added.

19:18 Beirut Time

The Lebanese Army announced that several of its units have deployed in the villages of Qouzah, Debel, Hanine and Beit Lif — in the Bint Jbeil district in the central sector of the region south of the Litani River — following the withdrawal of the Israeli army, in coordination with the cease-fire agreement monitoring committee and UNIFIL.


Brigadier General Edgar Lawandos, the army's representative on the monitoring committee and responsible for the southern sector of the Litani, called on the inhabitants of these localities to "stay away from the areas from which the Israeli enemy is withdrawing and to comply with the instructions of the military units," according to the statement.

18:05 Beirut Time

The United States said on Friday a cease-fire extension was desperately needed in Lebanon and that it was pleased the Israeli military has started withdrawing from central regions of the country.


"All parties share the goal of ensuring Hezbollah does not have the ability to threaten the Lebanese people or their neighbors. To achieve these goals, a short, temporary ceasefire extension is urgently needed," said Brian Hughes, White House National Security Council spokesperson.


"We are pleased that the Israeli army has started the withdrawal from the central regions, and we continue to work closely with our regional partners to finalize the extension."

17:57 Beirut Time

Hamas has accused Israel of "procrastinating" in implementing the terms of the cease-fire by preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to the north of Gaza, it said in a statement, quoted by Reuters.


The Palestinian movement warned that such delays could have "repercussions on the subsequent stages of the agreement."

17:08 Beirut Time

Bulgaria "welcomes" release of Israeli-Bulgarian hostage in Gaza, AFP reported.


Bulgaria thanked Qatar, Egypt and the United States for securing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of the hostages, the foreign ministry said, adding it hoped for the release of the others.

16:54 Beirut Time

The Red Cross has confirmed the completion of the second phase of hostage release and exchange operations in Gaza, Reuters reports, citing the ICRC.

16:24 Beirut Time

The Israeli army fired bursts of machine-gun fire toward neighborhoods in Mais al-Jabal, located in the Marjayoun district of southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent.

16:09 Beirut Time

The body of a person was recovered in Kfar Shuba, in the Hasbaya district of southern Lebanon, a Civil Defense source told our correspondent.

15:37 Beirut Time

The Israeli army opened fire on civilians as members of the Southern Council inspected an area near Shaqra (Bint Jbeil district), according to our correspondent. Additionally, an Israeli military unit has entered the Doubeih citadel in Shaqra.

15:28 Beirut Time

A massive crowd cheered as buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released by Israel drove through the streets of Ramallah, according to AFP journalists on-site.

Waving Palestinian flags, shouting with joy, and smiling widely, thousands gathered in this West Bank city, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, to welcome the prisoners freed as part of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

15:25 Beirut Time

70 Palestinian prisoners arrived in Egypt by bus after being released by Israel as part of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, according to an Egyptian intelligence-affiliated media outlet, Al-Qahera News, as reported by AFP.

The prisoners were "expelled" by Israel, the outlet added, noting that they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for medical treatment.

15:18 Beirut Time

Israel has agreed to allow displaced Palestinians to cross the Netzarim corridor to northern Gaza after receiving confirmation that civilian hostage Arbel Yehoud is alive, a source from Islamic Jihad told Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath.

14:53 Beirut Time

⚡ "President [Joseph] Aoun received a call from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who informed him of ongoing contacts to ensure the cease-fire is upheld," the Baabda presidential palace stated in a communiqué shared on its X account.

President Aoun urged Macron to "pressure Israel to comply with the terms of the cease-fire agreement," as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that the withdrawal of Israeli troops would not be completed by the scheduled deadline, which is tomorrow.

14:39 Beirut Time

Hamas said in a statement that a new batch Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons who hold life sentences or high sentences "are seeing the light today as part of the Al-Aqsa flood deal."

"We are forcing the criminal occupier to open the doors of its cells for our heroic prisoners, and this is our pledge to them for freedom and to our people to continue walking together on the path of independence", the organization said.

Hamas added that it safeguarded Israeli hostages "in compliance with its morals and customs despite the criminal enemy's attempt to get rid of them and pursue them through targeting and bombing."

"This is a historical day for our people, reflecting their unity around the resistance and their determination to achieve their legitimate goals and establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital", Hamas finally said.

14:34 Beirut Time

All 200 Palestinian prisoners have been released from Israeli prisons as part of the hostage exchange, according to the Israeli prison administration, cited by Reuters.

13:59 Beirut Time

The Israeli army has reminded residents of southern Lebanon that they are prohibited from returning to their villages located south of a line formed by several towns. "Until further notice, you are forbidden to move south to the villages along the following line," wrote Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, on X. He clarified that the Israeli army "has no intention of firing on residents" of southern Lebanon.

The villages mentioned by the spokesperson include: Dhaira, Taybeh, Tireh, Naqoura, Abou Chach, Ibl al-Saqi, Bayyada, Jibbayn, Khreibeh, Khiam, Khirbeh, Matmoura, Mari, Odaisseh, Qlaya, Oum el Tout, Salib, Arnoun, Bint Jbeil, Beit Lif, Blida, Bani Hayyan, Al Boustan, Ain Arab Marjayoun, Debbine, Debhal, Deir Mimas, Deir Siryan, Houla, Halta, Hanine, Tayr Harfa, Yohmor, Yaroun, Yarine, Kfar Hammam, Kfar Kila, Kfar Shuba, Zalloutieh, Mhaybib, Mais al Jabal, Maysat, Marwahine, Maroun al Ras, Markaba, Adchit Qoussair, Ain Ebel, Ainata, Aita al-Shaab, Aitaroun, Alma al-Chab, Arab Louaizah, Qaouzah, Rob al Thalatine, Ramiyeh, Rmeish, Rashaya al Foukhar, Shebaa, Shihine, Shamah and Tallousseh.

13:39 Beirut Time

Two Hamas leaders confirm Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud is "in good health," AFP reports. Meanwhile, buses carrying released Palestinian detainees are departing from two Israeli prisons.

13:02 Beirut Time

⚡ According to residents, the Israeli army has closed all roads leading to towns in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, our correspondent Muntasser Abdallah reports.

Meanwhile, rescue workers have recovered the bodies of three people from rubble in Jibbayn and Shihine. In the Nabatieh region, an Israeli drone is flying at very low altitude, clearly audible to local residents.

13:00 Beirut Time

The Israeli military is deeply concerned about the "fate" of the last two child hostages in Gaza, its spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said in a televised statement following the release of four female soldiers by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, AFP reports.

"Israel demands the return [...] of Shiri Bibas and her children, whose fate deeply concerns us," Admiral Hagari said, referring to Kfir and Ariel Bibas, aged 2 and 5, who were abducted with their mother on Oct. 7, 2023, in southern Israel.

12:56 Beirut Time

A resident of Qantara, in the Rashaya district, was injured by a bullet fired from the Israeli side, according to local sources reported by our correspondent in southern Lebanon. The man was transported to Sheikh Ragheb Harb Hospital and is in stable condition.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army has constructed a sand barrier in the middle of the road at the entrance to the village, near the water reservoir.

12:50 Beirut Time

The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that, “In accordance with the [cease-fire] agreement, Israel will not allow Gaza residents to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehoud, who was scheduled to be freed today, has been arranged.”

12:24 Beirut Time

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the released hostages are now meeting their families, and the military is committed to securing the return of the remaining Israeli civilians and soldiers in captivity, Haaretz reports.

"Agam Berger is still being held by Hamas. We are determined to bring her back and ensure the return of all hostages. The parents are currently meeting their daughters at the reception center in [Kibbutz] Re’im. Preparations for their return have been completed. From there, they will continue with their parents to the hospital," he said.

Hagari added, "We continue to make progress in implementing the agreement for the return of the hostages and are responsibly awaiting the arrival of new hostages in the near future. Hamas has not upheld its commitment to prioritize the return of civilian hostages. We will insist on the return of Arbel Yehoud, as well as Shiri and the children of the Bibas family, for whom we remain very concerned."

12:10 Beirut Time

Today, four Israeli female soldiers held hostage by Hamas were freed and are now in Israel.

L’Orient-Le Jour takes this opportunity to review the status of the 255 Israeli hostages held in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023, including those who have been freed, killed, returned to Israel alive or dead, as well as foreign nationals.

▶️ Find these details here.

12:06 Beirut Time

The four Israeli hostages freed from Gaza are now in Israel, according to the Israeli army, as cited by AFP.

12:00 Beirut Time

The Israeli army has blocked the Khallet Khachab road, west of Mais al-Jabal in the Marjayoun district, with barricades. Meanwhile, Israeli tanks were spotted advancing along the road to Houla in the same district.

11:51 Beirut Time

Israel to release the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner today, AFP reports, citing the Prisoners' Club.

11:46 Beirut Time

The four released Israeli hostages are now escorted by an elite unit of the Israeli army and a Shin Bet security team on their way back to Israel, where they will undergo an initial medical evaluation, according to a joint statement from the army and Shin Bet spokespersons, cited by Haaretz.

11:38 Beirut Time

The released Israeli hostages are now being transferred to the Israeli army, Haaretz reports.

11:34 Beirut Time

Screenshot from Al-Jazeera

🔴 The four Israeli hostages were presented on a Hamas podium in Gaza and handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), AFP reports.

11:33 Beirut Time

A joint team from the Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense traveled to Chihine and Jibbein in the Sour district to recover the bodies of Hezbollah fighters killed in the area, following the Lebanese Army’s deployment in these two southern Lebanese villages, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Meanwhile, displaced residents from Nabatieh received phone calls this morning from international numbers, NNA added. The callers, speaking in poor Arabic, were reportedly recognized as the Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army. The messages warned residents not to return home tomorrow as planned, citing the expiration of the cease-fire and the Israeli army’s intention to remain in place despite the withdrawal deadline.

11:31 Beirut Time

"If the occupation [Israel] does not withdraw, the gates of hell will open before its soldiers and their bases. No further details are needed," said a "leading source" from Hezbollah, as quoted by the Lebanese newspaper el-Liwa'.

The party typically advises against relying on anonymous sources in the media and recommends referring only to its official statements.

11:30 Beirut Time

Four vehicles from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have arrived in Gaza City to retrieve the Israeli hostages, according to AFP.

10:49 Beirut Time

A large explosion was heard in Kfar Shuba, in the Hasbaya district of southern Lebanon, according to our correspondent. It was reportedly caused by the Israeli army in the eastern part of the village.

Separately, two Israeli Merkava tanks and other heavy equipment were filmed destroying the Wadi Slouki road at the intersection of Kabrikha and Bani Hayyan in the Marjayoun district.

10:49 Beirut Time

Hamas announced that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners set to be released by Israel today will be transferred outside the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from the group cited by Reuters.

10:43 Beirut Time

Hamas fighters gathered in a square in Gaza City ahead of the release of four Israeli hostages, Jan. 25, 2025. (Credit: AFP)

10:42 Beirut Time

"With the expiration of the 60-day cease-fire deadline, the General Directorate of the Lebanese Army is calling on residents to delay their return to the southern border areas due to the mines and suspicious objects present on-site as a result of Israeli violations," the army said in a statement.

The announcement comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli army would not withdraw from southern Lebanon by the planned deadline, which is tomorrow.

"The delay is due to the procrastination of the Israeli enemy in its withdrawal, which complicates the army's deployment," the statement added.

The Lebanese Army emphasized to citizens the importance of respecting these directives, "for your safety." It also noted that its units are "working to open roads and address unexploded ordnance" while condemning "the continued violations of the agreement and assaults on Lebanon's sovereignty" by Israel.

The statement further indicated that the army is continuing its deployment south of the Litani River in accordance with the mechanism established by the cease-fire monitoring committee, in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

10:09 Beirut Time

Dozens of armed fighters from Hamas and Islamic Jihad have gathered in a square in Gaza City, where four Israeli female soldiers are expected to be handed over to the Red Cross as part of a new prisoner exchange, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.

Masked and uniformed members of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, arrived first in pickup trucks at around 9:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. GMT). They were followed by fighters from the al-Quds Brigades, the armed branch of Islamic Jihad.

10:07 Beirut Time

An Israeli tank on a road connecting Wadi Slouki, Shaqra, and Majdal Selm in southern Lebanon, Jan. 25, 2025. (Photo sent by local sources to correspondent Muntasser Abdallah)

An Israeli unit equipped with tanks and bulldozers infiltrated the western outskirts of the town of Houla this morning, heading toward Wadi Slouki, and from the village of Markaba toward Tallousa (Marjayoun district), according to Muntasser Abdallah, our correspondent in southern Lebanon.

Israeli vehicles also advanced on the hills of Kfar Shuba, conducting sweeping operations in the area.

09:50 Beirut Time

A Red Cross team in Gaza is currently en route to retrieve the Israeli hostages from Hamas, a source involved in the exchange operation told Reuters.

09:42 Beirut Time

Israel yesterday ordered the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which it accuses of being infiltrated by Hamas, to cease its activities in Jerusalem.

The warning, issued via a letter from Israel’s ambassador to the UN, follows a series of laws targeting the agency that have raised concerns about the future of its services in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, particularly in health and education.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini criticized Israel's decision on X (formerly Twitter), warning that it could “undermine the Gaza cease-fire, once again dashing the hopes of those who have endured unimaginable suffering.”

09:41 Beirut Time

The posters of the Israeli hostages (from left to right) Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Daniela Gilboa, held in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants. (Credit: AFP)

Hamas is set to release four Israeli female soldiers today, held captive in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, in exchange for several dozen Palestinian detainees in Israel. This marks the second such exchange under the Gaza truce agreement.

Nearly a week after the cease-fire came into effect, largely upheld, the Palestinian group yesterday released the names of the four young women, aged 19 to 20, whose release is expected today. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed it had received the list through mediators.

The Hostage Families Forum, which waited to ensure all families were informed, expressed its joy in a statement: “We welcome the expected release of Daniella Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Liri Albag and Naama Levy after 477 days of captivity.” They were performing their military service, assigned to monitoring the Gaza Strip, when they were abducted during Hamas’ commando attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The number of Palestinian detainees set to be released in exchange under the ongoing Gaza cease-fire agreement has not been disclosed. Israeli prison services indicated that some would be returned to Gaza, while others would be sent to the occupied West Bank.

09:37 Beirut Time

Welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East, including the seventh day of the truce in Gaza, where a new exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian detainees is scheduled.

The truce, which took effect on Jan. 19, has temporarily ended a 471-day war that claimed tens of thousands of lives.

We will also cover the latest developments in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, more than a month after the fall of the Assad regime.