Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas handed over three Israeli hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Deir al-Balah city of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, in accordance with a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.

This release marks the fifth hostage-prisoner swap under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

The three Israeli hostages, kidnapped in a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, are Ohad Ben Ami, 56, a dual Israeli-German citizen; Eli Sharabi, 52; and Or Levy, 34.

The three hostages, appearing visibly frail and exhausted, were escorted onto a platform by Hamas fighters to speak first and were then handed over by Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, to the ICRC.

Thousands of Palestinians gathered at the scene, expressing hope that the ceasefire agreement would continue to hold and lead to a broader and comprehensive peace deal.

"I am very happy about the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The bloodshed has stopped, so have the gunfire, the air strikes and bombings. This is the happiest thing for us and the greatest wish of everyone here," said a Palestinian resident.

"We hope the first phase of the handover goes smoothly so we can return to our homeland. We come from northern Gaza. Some roads back home are still closed and travel costs to the north are also high. Therefore, we wish for a full ceasefire so that all roads can be reopened for us to go home with the cheapest cost possible," said another.

As part of the swap, Israel also began releasing the 183 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails on Saturday.

The three-phase ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas took effect on January 19, halting 15 months of Israeli military operations in Gaza that left the enclave devastated and that killed around 62,000 people, including more than 17,000 children.

Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

Hamas releases three Israeli hostages in central Gaza

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.

In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.

"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.

Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.

"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.

In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.

China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024