Hamas releases 4 Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners
Jerusalem, Jan 25 (AP): Hamas group on Saturday released four female Israeli soldiers they held captive for 15 months in a planned exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees in Israel.
It's the second exchange since a fragile ceasefire took effect last weekend, halting the fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks during which dozens of Israeli hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed while more aid flows in.
In return for the four soldiers, Israel should free 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees, including 120 Hamas members serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. The first exchange took place Sunday with the release of three Israeli hostages and 90 Palestinian prisoners.
Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The ministry doesn't distinguish between combatants and civilians. The war was sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people.
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UP: 53-year-old lifer dies in Etah jail; probe on
Etah (UP) (PTI): A 53-year-old inmate lodged in the Etah district jail died on Saturday while undergoing treatment for chest pain, a jail official said.
According to the Jail Superintendent, Ankeshita Srivastava, Jitendra alias Bhura, a resident of Bijauri village in Kotwali Dehat area of the district, complained of severe left chest pain and high blood pressure on Saturday morning.
When his condition worsened, at around 10.35 am, he was admitted to Etah's Veerangana Avantibai Lodhi Autonomous State Medical College (VALASMC), where he was declared dead at around 10.45 am, she said.
The deceased inmate was lodged in the district jail on April 7, last year, and was serving a life sentence in a case of murder. In addition, two other cases were pending against him, the Jail Superintendent said.
His family has been informed about the incident, she added.
Police have sent the body for a post-mortem, and an investigation is underway, the officer said.
Further action will be taken upon the receipt of the report, she added.
