News
Israel-Hamas Four-day Truce Starts: How Day One Unfolded

In the first day, 24 captives held in Gaza were released on Friday, while a total of 39 women and children were released from Israeli jails.
After 48 days of war and bombardment that took thousands of lives, a four-day truce in the Israel-Gaza war began on Friday with captives released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Here is what we know about day one:
Captives and prisoners release
- During the four days of truce, at least 50 captives are expected to be freed, leaving an estimated 190 captives in Gaza. In exchange, 150 Palestinian prisoners are expected to be released.
- On Friday, 24 captives held in Gaza, including 10 Thai nationals, one Filipino and 13 Israeli women and children were released. In exchange, 24 Palestinian women — including two 18-year-olds — and 15 boys who were held as prisoners in Israel were released.
- The captives were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy, the ICRC said.
- Earlier on Friday, at 7:00am local time (05:00GMT) combat between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters halted for the first time in seven weeks under the truce. No big bombings, or artillery or rocket attacks were reported, although Hamas and Israel both accused each other of sporadic shootings.
- Both said the war would resume at full throttle as soon as the truce was over.
On day one this is how things unfolded:
Thailand:
- Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was the first to announce the release of some captives. He said his government received confirmation that some Thai workers held in Gaza were released by Hamas.
- A total of 10 Thai nationals were released. At least 23 Thai workers are believed to be taken as captives into Gaza during the October 7 attack, in addition to 32 Thai workers who were killed during the assault.
- The release of the Thais, who were all men, is believed to be unrelated to the truce negotiations and followed a separate track of talks with Hamas mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
- The Thai nationals “will be taken to Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), where they will be met by Embassy officials. They are required to be under medical supervision for a period of 48 hours, without access to outsiders,” Thailand’s foreign ministry said.
Israel:
- About half an hour later (around 14:23 GMT), the other captives were released, Hamas officials told AFP.
- At 6:06pm in Gaza (16:06 GMT) the ICRC confirmed that 24 captives were released.
- At 7:17pm (17:17 GMT) the Israeli military said that its forces were currently with the released captives. “They will continue to be accompanied by [Israeli] soldiers as they make their way to Israeli hospitals, where they will be reunited with their families,” they added.
- A full list of the Israeli captives released on Friday is available here.
- Speaking to Al Jazeera, Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy said most Israelis were watching images of the captives being released on their television screens.
- “There is a mixture of emotion, on one hand, there is the most simple basic happiness for families getting reunited … but every Israeli knows that this is just the beginning,” Levy said.
- “I think the nation’s sentiment right now is very clear, and is very general: Israelis want all the hostages back at any price, except for very radical right groups… and it means an extended ceasefire, because everyone understands that you cannot get back to the war with the same intensity and expect more deals,” he explained.
https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1728102668344914113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1728102668344914113%7Ctwgr%5Efb7082f2fc80ed6e8f00bbceddfd8b1bb66248f1%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F11%2F24%2Fisrael-hamas-4-day-truce-starts-here-is-how-day-one-unfolded
Palestine:
- At 7:34pm (17:34 GMT), Qatar confirmed the release of 39 Palestinian women and children held in Israeli jails.
- As part of a negotiated truce between Hamas and Israel, the group was transferred to Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, where families gathered outside are waiting anxiously for their return home.
- Marah Bakeer, who was arrested in 2015 when she was 16 years old, has been released from Ofer Prison. She was among the first batch of Palestinian women and children who were released as part of the truce agreement.
- Bakeer told Al Jazeera many of the released prisoners need medical attention. “All of the prisoners suffered a high level of medical neglect [while detained],” she said. Bakeer was shot in the arm while being arrested.
- A complete list of the Palestinian prisoners released on Friday is available here.
- According to Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, this could the beginning of something positive.
- “If the agreement works today, it means it could definitely work in the following few days,” Bishara said.
- “This is the other side to the darkness that has befallen Gaza and somewhat Israel over the past 50 days … so it’s important for us to look at this, regardless of how short and how complicated it is, and see it as what is possible and why ending this war is so important,” he added.

International aid
- More than 200 trucks carrying aid and fuel have entered Gaza, one of the biggest aid deliveries to Gaza since the start of the war.
What’s the situation in Gaza?
- In Khan Younis town in southern Gaza, streets filled with people venturing out of home and shelters into a landscape of buildings flattened into heaps of rubble.
- Displaced families with small children carried belongings in plastic bags, hoping to return at least temporarily to homes they had abandoned earlier in the war.
- “I am now very happy, I feel at ease. I am going back to my home, our hearts are rested,” said Ahmad Wael, smiling as he walked carrying a mattress balanced on his head. “I am very tired of sitting without any food or water. There [at home] we can live, we drink tea, make bread.”
- In northern Gaza’s combat zone, viewed from across the fence in southern Israel, there was no sign of the warplanes that have thundered through the sky for weeks, explosions on the ground or the contrails of Hamas rocketfire. Just one plume of smoke was visible in the early afternoon.
- Columns of Israeli tanks rolled away from the Gaza Strip’s northern end in the morning, while aid trucks entered from Egypt at the southern end.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
Audio
YTJ Announces New Single “JO,”

Entertainment Gists
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits?
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶

Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.


One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥

So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
News
Obeena Delivers Show-Stopping Performance at Igbotic Game Night in East London


East Ham, East London — 8 August 2026: The vibrant Igbo community in the UK came together for an unforgettable evening of entertainment, culture and social connection at Igbotic Game Night, one of the biggest social gatherings celebrating the Igbo community in the United Kingdom.
Among the night’s standout moments was an electrifying performance by Afrobeats artist Obeena, who took the stage and immediately captured the attention of the crowd.
Obeena delivered performances of two of his hit songs, “Wara Wara” and “Banging,” bringing his energetic sound and distinctive stage presence to the event. From the opening moments of his set, fans responded with excitement, singing along, dancing and enthusiastically supporting the artist.

His performance of “Wara Wara” created an instant connection with the audience, while “Banging” took the energy to another level. Obeena’s ability to engage the crowd transformed his set into one of the most memorable entertainment moments of the evening.
Held in East Ham, East London, on 8 August 2026, Igbotic Game Night provided a unique platform for members of the Igbo community to celebrate their heritage while enjoying music, games and social interaction. Events such as this continue to play an important role in bringing together Nigerians and the wider African diaspora in the UK.
For Obeena, the performance was another opportunity to showcase his growing artistry and connect directly with fans. His energetic delivery, stage confidence and ability to command the audience demonstrated why his live performances continue to attract attention.
By the end of his set, Obeena had left the crowd amazed and added another memorable chapter to his journey as an Afrobeats artist. His appearance at Igbotic Game Night was not simply a performance—it was a celebration of Nigerian music, culture and community.
With performances like this, Obeena continues to demonstrate his ambition to take his sound beyond the studio and onto major stages, connecting with audiences through music, energy and an unmistakable African identity.
Igbotic Game Night brought the Igbo community together. Obeena gave them a performance to remember.
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