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There have been conflicting reports on whether Israel would free the prominent Gaza medic as part of the truce agreement.

As Israeli and Palestinian captives return to their families as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the status of many prominent Palestinian detainees remains uncertain.

Among them is Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safia, a hospital director in Gaza who was abducted by Israeli forces in December 2024 and has stayed in detention despite growing calls for his release and reports by his lawyer that he has been tortured in Israeli prison.

Many Palestinian rights supporters see Abu Safia as the embodiment of the resilience of Palestinian medics, as Israel systemically targeted Gaza’s health sector for more than two years.

It is unclear whether Abu Safia will be released as part of the ceasefire deal, which includes both Israelis held captive by Hamas in Gaza and Palestinians swept up in Gaza and imprisoned en masse by Israel, most without charge or trial.

But as of the end of Monday, the doctor has not been freed.

CNN reported over the weekend that Israel would not release Abu Safia, citing a source from Hamas. However, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Monday that Abu Safia was among five extra names added to the list of Palestinians from Gaza to be released.

The human rights watchdog Amnesty International says that the hospital director has been held without charge or trial under an Israeli security law after being arrested by Israeli forces at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, where he continued to work as a paediatrician after his son was killed in an Israeli air strike.

“Not until 11 February 2025 did Israeli authorities allow Dr Abu Safiya to meet with a legal counsel,” the group said in a petition calling for his release. “In the latest visit by a lawyer to Ofer military prison in early July 2025, she reported that Dr Hussam and other detainees were subjected to assault and beatings.”

Amnesty International noted that Abu Safia had also lost significant weight during his detention.

Palestinian detainees and rights groups have reported torture, sexual violence and other abusive conditions in Israeli captivity during the two-year war on Gaza. Many of those released on Monday show signs of abuse and significant weight loss.

“As we speak, Husam Abu Safiya is subjected to severe torture,” a Palestinian detainee told Al Jazeera upon his release in Khan Younis in Gaza.

Calls have grown in recent days, after the ceasefire deal was finalised, for Abu Safia’s release.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has urged United States President Donald Trump to push Israel to abide by the ceasefire deal.

“We also call on the President to demand that Israel release Dr Hussam Abu Safiya and all other kidnapped medical professionals.”

UN expert Francesca Albanese suggested on Friday that the lack of pressure to release civilian captives reflects the shortcomings of the ceasefire plan, which was put forward by Trump.

“There cannot be peace without justice, human rights and dignity of ALL. Palestinian lives matter,” Albanese wrote on X.

The United Arab Emirates has quickly become a favourite holiday spot for UK travellers, and it’s not hard to understand the appeal

The United Arab Emirates has swiftly emerged as a top holiday destination for British tourists, and it’s easy to see why. Boasting diverse landscapes from deserts and oases to mountains and valleys, the UAE caters to all kinds of holidaymakers, whilst showcasing year-round luxury living.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi shine as the crown jewels of the UAE’s premium travel scene. However, merely an hour’s journey from Dubai sits a hidden paradise that guests have dubbed the nation’s best-kept secret.

Harry Leach ventured to Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), the UAE’s most northern emirate, last November seeking thrills – and discovered them in abundance, reports Bristol Live.

Upon his arrival, Harry watched daredevils racing along the planet’s most extensive zipline, Jais Flight, hitting jaw-dropping speeds of up to 100mph across the 1.75-mile track.

He captured the moment: “Ahead of me, adrenaline junkies shoot across the world’s longest zipline, Jais Flight, reaching hair-raising speeds of up to 100mph on the 1.75-mile journey,” before noting, “Suspended in Superman positions, 4,869ft above sea level, I can just make out their gleeful shrieks as they reach safety after a three-minute dopamine hit.

“To my right is the Jais Sledder: a 1.14-mile mountainside toboggan on a low-slung track. It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted, and I’d argue far more exhilarating than any rollercoaster at Alton Towers.”

Harry summed up his experience: “This is Ras Al Khaimah, only a short 45-minute drive away from Dubai airport. It’s a thrillseekers’ dream destination while also a relaxing desert paradise.”

Harry enjoyed a lavish break at the five-star Mövenpick Resort, positioned on Al Marjan Island’s stunning coral-shaped isles, encircled by the Persian Gulf’s glistening azure waters.

“When I arrived in late November, temperatures were still reaching 30C and above, despite being on the cusp of winter,” he explained.

His trip was made even more pleasant thanks to an ocean breeze which helped make the intense sunshine more bearable – a crucial element for someone who must slather on factor 50 throughout the British summer.

The resort catered to a diverse crowd, from older tourists and youngsters to families seeking retreat, solo travellers in search of tranquillity, adrenaline junkies, and those content with lounging on deck chairs.

Harry found an array of activities at his disposal, including relaxing in the spa, immersing himself in an online gaming cave, trying out arcade games, watching over kids in the play centre, and enjoying frequent live shows.

After a strenuous gym session, Harry treated himself to what he described as the ultimate post-workout reward: “I followed up a tough gym session by treating myself to the best post-workout meal available: Mövenpick’s ‘chocolate hour’ – 60 minutes of complimentary eclairs, truffles and choccy fondue. It’s pure indulgence.”

Despite the number of options to keep him occupied, he felt that “There’s a lot going on, a lot to see, a lot to do, but it never feels overwhelming.”

“It goes without saying that Mövenpick, a well-established Swiss hotel management brand in Europe, has exceptional dining options – with four first-rate restaurants on site, all focusing on sustainability and fresh food, each with their unique style, character and draw.”

The Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island’s culinary heart is The Market, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which has been hailed as the hotel’s vibrant hub by visitor Harry.

Sharing his experience, Harry highlighted the dedication to genuine dining: “It’s about creating meals from the heart,” a philosophy echoed by Chef Rajiv Ranjan Singh during a masterclass in preparing Switzerland’s cherished rösti.

The resort isn’t only renowned for its cuisine but also for its lavish Neo Sky Bar. Additionally, it provides views of the round-the-clock building site for the UAE’s first casino, expected to welcome guests in 2027.

This £3 billion project is set to boost visitor numbers to Al Marjan Island, a destination still establishing itself as a holiday hotspot, particularly amongst Western travellers despite its relatively young 12-year existence.

Looking back on his stay, Harry said: “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived here. But after five days, I left feeling revitalised and refreshed. The warmth and friendliness of locals and the tranquillity of the island made it a tough goodbye on the final morning.”

He added: “Dubai gets most of the attention, and grabs the headlines, and perhaps that will always be the case.

“But I’m fine with that because Al Marjan Island is currently the country’s best-kept secret.”

Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, has been killed in an air strike in Gaza City, Israel has said.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, for the “flawless execution” in a post on X.

He gave no detail on the time or location of the operation, but the IDF earlier said its aircraft attacked “a key terrorist” in the al-Rimal neighbourhood on Saturday, prompting reports in Israeli media that Obeida had been the target.

Hamas has not confirmed his death. The Palestinian armed group earlier said dozens of civilians were killed and injured in Israeli strikes on a residential building in the district.

Katz warned on Sunday that many more of Obeida’s “criminal partners” would be targeted with “the intensification of the campaign in Gaza” – a reference to a recently approved Israeli plan to seize control of Gaza City.

Separately, the IDF and Shin Bet offered more details about Saturday’s strikes that targeted the Hamas spokesman.

They said in a joint statement that the operation had been “made possible due to prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate” that had identified his hiding place.

Obeida was among the few remaining senior members of Hamas’s military wing from before its deadly 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Five missiles struck the second and third floor of the six-storey apartment in the al-Rimal neighbourhood building simultaneously from two different directions.

The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist’s surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas.

The joint statement said Obeida “served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization” and “disseminated Hamas’ propaganda”.

Over the past few years, Obeida – believed to be about 40 years old – delivered a number of long diatribes against Israel on behalf of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Always masked in a Palestinian scarf, he became an idol to Hamas supporters throughout the Middle East.

In what may have been his final speech on Friday, Obeida said the fate of remaining Israeli hostages would be the same as that of Hamas fighters, warning Israel against its planned invasion of Gaza City.

Local journalists reported that at least seven people had been killed and 20 injured in the strikes on the densely populated al-Rimal neighbourhood, with children among the casualties.

Mohammed Emad, who runs a barbershop just 100m (328ft) from the site, told the BBC that “the blasts were terrifying – I couldn’t move for more than an hour”.

He added: “I can’t believe I’m still alive. I saw injured children with blood covering their faces, and people were running in every direction as if the world had ended.”

The IDF said that prior to the attack “many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weapons, aerial observations, and additional intelligence information”.

BBC News has been unable to independently verify the claims of either the IDF or Hamas.

In early August, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City in a fresh offensive, with the stated aim of bringing the 22-month-long war to an end.

The UN has repeatedly warned that a complete military takeover would risk “catastrophic consequences” for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK’s ambassador to Israel has said it would be “a huge mistake”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat Hamas and defied international criticism of his plans to expand the war.

Israel’s military operation in Gaza began in response to the Hamas-led 7 October attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Since then, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

While the operation to capture Gaza City has yet to begin in earnest, Israeli attacks on the city – where nearly a million people live – have been ongoing.

One local resident told the BBC that the same apartment building struck on Saturday had already been hit in an earlier Israeli air raid months ago.

The Israeli military has said it plans to evacuate Gaza City’s entire population and move it to shelters in the south before troops move in. Most of Gaza’s population has already been displaced many times during the conflict.

More than 90% of the city’s homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed, and the healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene systems have collapsed.

Last week, conditions of famine were confirmed in Gaza City and its surrounding areas for the first time.

Reinier de Ridder survives a brutal knockdown to win by split decision against Robert Whittaker in the main event at Etihad Arena in the UAE.

Reinier de Ridder secured the biggest win of his Octagon career at UFC Abu Dhabi, narrowly securing a hard-fought split decision over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker at the Etihad Arena in the United Arab Emirates.

De Ridder (21-2) earned his third win of 2025 by defeating the Australian by split decision; two of the three judges scored the 84kg (185-pound) bout 48-47 for de Ridder, while a third had it 48-47 for Whittaker.

“I don’t want to fight like this [Whittaker], man, this guy was too tough,” de Ridder said in a post-fight interview on Saturday. “I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy f****** hands.”

The Dutch fighter had to survive a brutal knockdown in round three when Whittaker dropped him with a right hand to the chin in the opening minute.

De Ridder managed to survive the attack, and consolidated his overall superiority in strikes – de Ridder landed 169 in total, compared with 100 for Whittaker, according to official UFC statistics – and recovered to win the final two rounds by wearing down the 34-year-old with repeated knees to the body and constant grappling.

Throughout the five-round fight, there was little to separate the pair. When the final bell sounded, the split decision reflected the closeness of the contest.

De Ridder’s victory was his fourth Ultimate Fighting Championship career victory. Whittaker (27-9) has now lost two straight and three of his five most recent fights.

Following his victory, de Ridder, ranked 13th heading into the Whittaker fight, called for a title shot against the winner of the middleweight championship bout between Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 on August 16.

“I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat [Chimaev] or Dricus [Du Plessis]. Give me my title shot.”

In the co-main event, former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan defeated Marcus McGhee by unanimous decision. Yan outpaced his opponent in total strikes, significant strikes, control and takedowns.

In the middleweight match, Shara Magomedov bounced back from his first professional loss, which came against Michael Page in February, to win over Marc-Andre Barriault by unanimous decision. Magomedov earned a 30-27 score from all three judges.

Whittaker is a former UFC middleweight champion who has won 17 of his 23 fights since joining the promotion in 2012.

He is currently fifth in the UFC’s middleweight rankings, demonstrating sporting longevity at the top which is matched by few.

Although Whittaker says regaining the title – which he lost to Israel Adesanya in 2019 and is now held by Du Plessis – remains a goal, it his not his biggest driver any more.

“I’ve got nothing to prove, there’s just things that I’m working for. I’m leading by example for my kids and any other athlete that wants to look up to me,” says Whittaker.

“I’ve been in the game so long, what drives me to be better and push as hard as I do, is the kids.”

De Ridder is fighting in only his fourth UFC bout after joining the organisation last year.

He is 34 like Whittaker, but has spent much of his career in fellow MMA promotion One Championship, where he is a former middleweight and light-heavyweight champion.

“De Ridder is going to be looking to pressure me and take me down to the ground and make me uncomfortable,” said Whittaker.

“I want to get my hands on him and hope for a quick one but I’ve been training for a 25-minute slugfest.”

Abu Shabab is the leader of the Popular Forces, a criminal group in southern Gaza thought to be backed by Israel.

A Hamas-run court in Gaza has ordered Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a criminal group allegedly backed by Israel, to surrender himself for trial.

The Revolutionary Court of the Military Judiciary Authority in Gaza gave the 35-year-old head of the Popular Forces group, which stands accused of collaborating with Israel to loot humanitarian aid, 10 days to turn himself in.

Abu Shabab faces charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang and armed rebellion, the court said on Wednesday, adding that he would be tried in absentia if he fails to surrender.

The Popular Forces posted a response on a Facebook page that usually carries its announcements, describing the court’s order as a “sitcom that doesn’t frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity”.

The group and its leader were thrust into the limelight last month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government had “activated” powerful local clans in Gaza on the advice of “security officials”.

Israeli and Palestinian media named the group as the Popular Forces, a well-armed Bedouin clan led by Abu Shabab, reportedly consisting of about 100 armed men.

The group later said online that its members were involved in guarding aid shipments sent to distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel contracted to distribute aid in the enclave.

Mass killings of aid seekers near the US-backed GHF distribution centres, which replaced existing distribution networks run by the United Nations and other experienced aid groups, have become a routine occurrence.

The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank has described Abu Shabab as the leader of a “criminal gang operating in the Rafah area that is widely accused of looting aid trucks”.

It said he was thought to have been previously imprisoned by Hamas for drug trafficking.

The court urged Palestinians to inform Hamas security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops.

It said anyone who knows of Abu Shabab’s location and fails to report him would be considered to have concealed a fugitive from justice.