Saturday’s newspapers are dominated by news of the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas. The Times reports the release under the headline, “At last, freedom for some”. The newspaper highlights the release of 39 Palestinian women and youth who were also released from Israeli prisons as part of the deal under which the hostages were freed. The newspaper also covers an interview with Home Secretary James Cleverly, who said his predecessor’s Rwanda plan is not the top priority in terms of the government’s plans for curbing immigration.
The Financial Times carries a front page picture of a Red Cross convoy believed to be transporting hostages out of Gaza. Jeff Zucker, former CNN boss who cut a deal to acquire the Telegraph group, features in an interview with the paper in which he accuses other media rivals who were bidding to acquire the Telegraph group of turning against him after he cut them out.
The i newspaper reports there is growing anger at the Israeli government from families of those not included in the deal. The release of the hostages coincides with the start of a four-day pause in fighting, and the Guardian fills its front page with the headline “Hope for truce grows as fighting in Gaza halts”. The Guardian also features an opinion piece by Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, in which he urges Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to take decisive action on Gaza.
Elsewhere, The Daily Telegraph reports on the resignation of Comic Relief’s chairman, Eric Salama, who resigned over the charity’s stance on Gaza. The charity signed a petition criticising Israeli bombing, which Salama described as “profoundly wrong”. Finally, Esther Rantzen, the veteran campaigner and broadcaster, dominates the front of the Daily Express. She speaks to the newspaper about her cancer fight
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