International
Gaza War: Hamas releases three Israeli hostages and Tel Aviv releases almost 400 Palestinian prisoners
The Islamist group Hamas delivered Israeli hostages Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, Iair Horn and Sagui Dekel-Chen to the Red Cross on Saturday in a ceremony held in Jan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, most of the 369 Palestinian prisoners released within the sixth exchange for Israeli hostages were transferred to the Gaza Strip.
The Red Cross escolted the hostages, in apparent good health, to the Israeli forces stationed in the enclave, who took them out of the Strip to reunite them with their families. The Israeli Army confirmed that the hostages have already crossed the border into Israeli territory and are on their way to a reception point in southern Israel, where they will meet with their families.
The liberation ceremony organized by Hamas was held on a stage located in a devastated area of Gaza, where there were posters with phrases such as “There will be no migration, except to Jerusalem” or “We crossed quickly” (in reference to the attack of October 7 in Israeli territory).
After a Red Cross worker signed the release documents from the hands of a Hamas militiaman, the hostages went on stage, located a few meters from the house of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the attacks of October 7 and who died in a confrontation with Israeli forces in October 2024.
On him, the hostages gave speeches asking the Israeli Government to maintain the truce, after which they were taken to the Red Cross vehicles on their way to Israeli territory.
Hamas announced yesterday the names of the three hostages after threatening earlier this week to pause the release due to the repeated Israeli “violations” of the agreement, among which it cited impediments to the entry of humanitarian aid.
Israel, for its part, threatened to resume the war in Gaza if Hamas did not release the hostages today, without clarifying how many, taking advantage of an ambiguous message from US President Donald Trump, who threatened a “hell” in Gaza if Hamas did not release “all the hostages” before Saturday noon.
Most of the 369 Palestinian prisoners released this Saturday by Israel were transferred to the Gaza Strip, where they arrived in buses to the European Hospital of the enclave, according to images broadcast live by the Al Jazeera network.
Seven buses accompanied by Red Cross vehicles entered from Israeli territory to the city of Rafah, in the south of the strip, and then arrived at the European Hospital in Gaza, where they are scheduled to undergo medical tests and other tests to confirm their identity.
Israel is expected to complete the release of 369 Palestinian prisoners today, of which 333 arrived in Gaza, 11 were released in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 25 will be deported to Egypt, to be transferred from there to other countries. If release occurs after the release by Hamas of three captive hostages in the enclave.
The prisoners released in Gaza are those who were detained in the same enclave after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the war.
Palestinian media reported that one of the prisoners was transferred to Gaza before the arrival of the buses in a Red Cross ambulance due to his state of health.
The prisoners generally appeared in coats and jackets other than the sweatshirts that the Israeli prison service put on them before leaving prison, in which the phrase in Arabic was read “We will not forget or forgive” next to a star of David.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
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