LIVE BLOG: Israel to Release 737 Palestinian Prisoners | Missiles from Yemen, Gaza – Day 470

ANADOLU NEWS AGENCY: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed support for Gaza, stating that despite Israeli genocide, the people of Gaza stood firm.

ABU HAMZA: Israeli bombardments are leading to casualties among Israeli prisoners, and their families should demand an end to the strikes.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli forces closed most of Hebron’s main entrances with concrete barriers, amidst an expansion of operation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 46,899 Palestinians have been killed, and 110,725 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.

TURKISH FM: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed joy over the ceasefire and the humanitarian aid reaching Gaza.

Several people were injured in an Israeli drone strike west of Nuseirat.

HAMAS:

We forced the occupation to halt the aggression and withdraw, despite Netanyahu’s attempts to prolong the war and commit massacres.

The occupation failed to achieve its aggressive objectives and only succeeded in committing war crimes that stain humanity.

The Al-Aqsa Flood battle reflected the unity of our great people with their victorious resistance and shattered the enemy’s arrogance.

The blood of our people will not be in vain and will not be forgotten. The enemy’s leaders and soldiers will be pursued and prosecuted, no matter how long it takes.

HAMAS:

The lists will be published before each exchange day, according to a mechanism agreed upon in the ceasefire terms.

The release of Israeli hostages will depend on the number of Palestinian detainees that Israel will release.

ISRAELI ARMY: The Israeli Air Force claimed to intercept a missile launched from Yemen.

CHANNEL 12: Air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport was suspended after a missile was launched from Yemen. Firefighting teams were dispatched to Be’er Yaakov, south of Tel Aviv, following a fire caused by missile fragments.

ISRAELI EMS: Emergency teams treated several cases of panic and minor injuries from rushing to shelters.

ITAMAR BEN GVIR: The Minister of National Security expressed heightened concerns as more details of the prisoner swap emerged.

“This is a dangerous deal, releasing prisoners to Jerusalem and the West Bank. I urge Likud ministers not to support it—it’s not too late,” he stated.

Ben Gvir criticized the deal as surrendering to Hamas and compromising Israeli security, saying it violates the government’s red lines.

ISRAELI ARMY: The alarms sounding in central Israel were triggered by a missile launch from Yemen.

ISRAELI ARMY: The alarms sounding in central Israel were triggered by a missile launch from Yemen. pic.twitter.com/EcbR3fF0Xb

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 18, 2025

ISRAELI CIVIL DEFENSE: Sirens sounded across northern and eastern Ashdod, as well as in Jerusalem and its western and southern suburbs.

NAIM QASSEM:

The Gaza agreement demonstrates the resilience of the resistance, which achieved its goals while Israel did not.

The resistance and Palestinian people thwarted Israel’s dangerous scheme.

NAIM QASSEM:

The Gaza agreement demonstrates the resilience of the resistance, which achieved its goals while Israel did not.

The resistance and Palestinian people thwarted Israel’s dangerous scheme. pic.twitter.com/UJZeGVXzpa

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 18, 2025

CHANNEL 13 ISRAEL:

The National Security Council head warned in a government meeting that the prisoner swap deal might negatively impact West Bank security.

The Security Cabinet made decisions to bolster security in the West Bank, especially in settlements.

AL-JAZEERA:

Occupation forces dismantled a surveillance crane near Abu Shrekh Junction west of Jabaliya Camp.

Jabaliya, a stronghold of Palestinian resistance, has been a target for Israel’s military operations aimed at subduing its residents and the resistance.

 

MAARIV: Associates of US President-elect Donald Trump reportedly conveyed a message to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing Trump’s dissatisfaction despite their meetings. Leaks suggest Trump’s team favors a regional peace plan but not with Netanyahu in charge.

ISRAELI HOME FRONT COMMAND: Sirens blared in Almon settlement near Ramallah amid fears of an armed infiltration.

QATAR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS:

The Gaza ceasefire will begin at 8:30 AM Sunday local time.

Residents are urged to exercise caution and follow official guidance.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli forces demolished homes in the heart of the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

ISLAMIC JIHAD: Our fighters launched “Badr-1” rockets at Nir Am settlement near Gaza’s border.

ISLAMIC JIHAD: Our fighters launched “Badr-1” rockets at Nir Am settlement near Gaza’s border. pic.twitter.com/yCiSG5daIK

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 18, 2025

MAARIV:

A poll revealed that 73% of Israelis support the prisoner exchange deal, with 19% opposed.

Among opposition supporters, 91% back the deal, compared to only 52% of coalition supporters.

ISRAELI MINISTRY OF JUSTICE: Israel will release 737 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the first group of Israeli captives, marking the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

KAN: Five prominent Palestinian figures will not be released in the first phase of the deal, but Hamas insists on their freedom in subsequent phases.