JERUSALEM/GAZA -- Israel confirmed Friday that it has received a list of three hostages set to be released on Saturday from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office initially stated that the list was "acceptable by Israel," but a spokesman for Netanyahu later backtracked, clarifying that Israel had only received the list. "This is a purely factual description and does not reflect any Israeli position on the matter," the spokesman said. (Israel-Hamas-Hostage Release)

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RIYADH -- Saudi Arabia welcomed on Friday the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the possibility of meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the kingdom.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry, in a statement on social media platform X, commended a phone call between Trump and Putin on Wednesday. Following the phone conversation, Trump indicated that he would "probably" meet with Putin in person soon, suggesting that the meeting could take place in Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Arabia-Trump-Putin-Talks)

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ANKARA -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned any forced displacement in Gaza on Friday, calling it "pure brutality" and completely unacceptable.

Speaking to journalists on his flight from visits to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan, Erdogan said the United States "is making a serious miscalculation regarding our region." (Türkiye-Erdogan-Gaza)

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BEIRUT -- Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri declared on Friday he would revive his Future Movement party and re-engage in elections, reversing a 2022 decision to quit politics, during a rally marking 20 years since his father Rafik Hariri's assassination

Speaking in Beirut's Martyrs' Square on the 20th anniversary of his father Rafik Hariri's assassination, Hariri positioned himself as a unifier. "We return not to repeat mistakes but to rebuild Lebanon with state authority, Arab partnerships, and peace," he said, endorsing President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's reform agenda. (Lebanon-Hariri-Comeback) Enditem

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