A woman looks at a display of empty chairs representing hostages held by the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 24, 2025
HAMAS has provided Israel with the names of four hostages it plans to release on Saturday under the Gaza Strip ceasefire deal.
There was no immediate confirmation of the names from the Israeli authorities. The hostages are to be freed in exchange for 180 Palestinians imprisoned, often without charge, by Israel.
Israel believes about a third, possibly as many as half, of the more than 90 hostages remaining in Gaza have died. Hamas has not released definitive information on how many captives are still alive or the names of the dead.
As the Alliance of Sahel States and southern African nations advance pan-African goals, the African Union must listen and learn rather than parroting the Western line on these positive developments, writes ROGER McKENZIE
Money makers already exploit cleaning and catering contracts while the military-industrial complex diverts billions from health to warfare — but Bevan’s vision will endure as long as people fight for it, writes ROGER MCKENZIE
