Ramallah, Feb 4: A Palestinian official announced that 60 Palestinian prisoners, released by Israel as part of a ceasefire deal and currently in Egypt, will be deported to Turkiye, Qatar, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, said each of the four countries would host 15 Palestinian prisoners, adding that there are currently 70 Palestinian prisoners staying in a hotel in the New Administrative Capital of Egypt, pending deportation.

Zaghari mentioned that discussions are ongoing with other countries to secure hosting for the remaining prisoners, and talks are also in progress with Cairo to accommodate some of those who may be released in future batches.

Egypt, Qatar, and the US, acting as mediators, announced in a joint statement on January 15 that Hamas and Israel had reached a ceasefire agreement that includes the exchange of prisoners and hostages, aiming for sustained calm and a permanent ceasefire between the two sides.

Since the ceasefire took effect on January 19, Hamas has released 18 hostages in exchange for Israel freeing hundreds of Palestinians from its prisons.

According to a recent report, Israel demanded that Palestinians convicted of the most serious crimes not be released to the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. Egypt agreed to temporarily host these individuals.

Earlier on Saturday Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners in the fourth prisoner-for-hostage swap under the ongoing truce deal with Hamas, according to Palestinian sources.

Abdullah Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told Media that Israeli authorities handed the released prisoners over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Of the freed prisoners, 150 were from the Gaza Strip, 32 from the West Bank, and the remaining one, who holds Egyptian citizenship, will be returned to Egypt.

Gaza Strip, Feb 1: A 65-year-old Israeli-American hostage, Keith Siegel, was freed by Hamas on Saturday after 484 days in captivity, marking the third release of the day.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed his release, stating that medical officials were assessing his condition at an initial reception point in southern Israel.

Siegel was abducted along with his wife, Aviva, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. While Aviva was freed in a November 2023 ceasefire-hostage deal, Keith remained in captivity until now.

“After 484 days, Keith has finally been released from captivity,” the IDF stated in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, Hamas also released two other hostages — 54-year-old Israeli-French citizen Ofer Calderon and 35-year-old Israeli civilian Yardan Bibas. The Red Cross facilitated their transfer from Hamas custody to the Israeli military.

Following their release, all three hostages were taken to the IDF’s Reim base near the Gaza border, where they reunited with their families before being flown to hospitals in central Israel for further medical assessments. Emotional videos of these reunions were shared by the IDF.

The latest releases follow the return of three other hostages — Agam Berger, Arbel Yehud, and Gadi Moses — on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed them home and credited Israel’s military efforts and firm stance in negotiations for their safe return.

“This release was achieved, first of all, thanks to our heroic soldiers, and it was also achieved thanks to the steadfast and determined stand that we took during the negotiations,” Netanyahu stated.

The hostage releases were part of the fourth batch under a negotiated prisoner exchange and ceasefire deal. The transfer was coordinated with international mediators to ensure safe passage.

Sydney, Jan 31: Australian authorities have issued a major flood warning for the country’s northeast.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Friday issued a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall for communities along a 400-kilometre stretch of coast in far north Queensland state.

Residents in the area were told to prepare for up to half a metre of rainfall and for the possibility of flooding.

“Intensely heavy rainfall and significant, potentially life-threatening flash flooding are expected to develop,” Miriam Bradbury from the BoM said.

“These areas have already seen a huge amount of rain so far this week, and additional rainfall is likely to lead to further flash flooding.”

The area between Cairns and Townsville, the two biggest cities in far north Queensland, is expected to receive between 300 and 500 millimetres of rainfall between Friday night and Sunday.

Queensland’s State Disaster Coordinator Shane Chelepy said at a press conference that flood preparations were underway.

He urged residents in the affected area to put a disaster plan in place, ensure they are stocked up on food and fuel and that their electronic devices are charged.

“The most important thing they can do is stay connected with our messaging,” he said.

The area controller for the State Emergency Service, Chris Watts, said that emergency crews prepared flood boats and storm damage equipment.

He said that residents in flood zones should be prepared to evacuate.

According to the BoM, parts of Queensland’s north tropical coast received up to 800 millimeters of rain in the past week.

The heavy rainfall was being driven by three tropical low systems that formed off the coast of Queensland.