Central Intelligence Agency

The prisoner exchange between Russia and the West, which took place on Thursday in Istanbul, resembled moments from the Cold War, complete with the dramatic setting of an isolated airport area.

From Russia, 16 people were released: four to the U.S. and 12 to Germany, one of whom was Belarusian.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Pakistani national characterized as the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and the Pentagon, was arrested in 2003 and transferred to the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where he has been held since 2006.

The Bilderberg Club, the exclusive club of the powerful that has been associated with the most extreme conspiracy theories, turned 70 this year.

A deadly strike hit a school turned shelter in southern Gaza on Tuesday as Israeli forces in the war-ravaged territory's main city pushed on with a major offensive that has again displaced Palestinians.

A hospital source in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza said at least 29 people were killed when the school was hit in nearby Abasan.

The White House is still awaiting a response from Hamas regarding the proposal for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned that Washington is looking for a decision from Hamas through Qatar, a key mediator in the peace efforts.

Heavy fighting rocked Gaza on Tuesday after G7 and Arab powers urged both Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce and hostage release deal outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Mediator Qatar said it had yet to see statements from either side "that give us a lot of confidence", but the foreign ministry said Doha was "working with both sides on proposals on the table".

From programs to build supersonic flying saucers to atomic bombs, here are the most fascinating declassified military and CIA secrets

A spokesman for Hamas' armed wing announced that its fighters captured Israeli soldiers during clashes in Jabalia in northern Gaza, though the Israeli military denied this claim, according to reports from Reuters.

The Hamas spokesman did not specify the number of soldiers allegedly captured or provide evidence to support his statement.

The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.

Recent developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict have heightened concerns about the potential for further escalation and the devastating impact on both nations and the broader international community. The conflict, marked by ongoing military operations and diplomatic maneuvering, has garnered significant attention from global leaders, analysts, and the public alike.