Sunday, February 16

Israel and Hamas have completed their next prisoner exchange, which confirms that their ceasefire deal is still going and will not be broken up.

The current ceasefire deal was negotiated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in the Qatari capital of Doha, and it took effect on January 19. The deal secured the release of 33 Israeli hostages from Hamas and over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israel, as well as establishing that Israel would need to remove all of their forces from the Gaza Strip. Now, only two weeks remain in the ceasefire, but hostage exchanges are continuing.

Earlier this week, Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and delayed the next hostage release, sparking outrage. The United States also stepped in, with President Donald Trump ordering Hamas to send all hostages back to Israel immediately, or else. Israel agreed with the statement but slightly changed it to say that they would resume their bombardment of Gaza if the next few hostages were not sent by Saturday-- Trump had demanded for all hostages to be sent back.

Now, the sixth hostage exchange has gone through, restoring some confidence in the deal. Hamas gave three hostages to the Red Cross while Israel sent 369 prisoners of war back to Gaza. The Red Cross has acted as a neutral party to facilitate the exchanges throughout the agreement.

However, there are still over 70 hostages in Hamas' possession, although Israel suspects that many of them could be dead. The ceasefire comes to an end in two weeks, meaning that many hostages will be left in Gaza. While the two countries were slated to begin negotiations over the next phase of the deal several days ago, Israel seems to be stalling for time until it is too late.

If the second phase is not confirmed before the end of the current agreement, Israel will continue their strikes and invasion into Gaza, continuing the devastation of the strip. On the other hand, Trump's suggestion of the US taking over Gaza has been strongly rejected by Arab nations, as he would force all Palestinians to leave the region permanently.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The secret to pain relief may be in your backyard-- or not. For centuries, willow bark has been used as an alternative to aspirin. The active ingredient in the bark, salicyl, turns to salicylic acid and is more gentle on the stomach than over-the-counter aspirin. However, willow bark does not agree with some people, and it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, heartburn, and allergic reactions.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is better to stand and fight. If you run, you’ll only die tired.

(Viking Proverb)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Livid (adj, LIV-id) - Livid means "very angry, enraged, or furious." It may also describe things having a dark purplish or reddish color.

In a Sentence: The teen's parents were livid when they discovered she had lied about her whereabouts.