Palestinians celebrate release of 200 detainees from Israeli jails

Palestinians were overjoyed as they welcomed detainees released by Israeli forces after Hamas released four Israeli soldiers.
18 min read
25 January, 2025
Last Update
25 January, 2025 23:55 PM

Crowds of Palestinians erupted in joy as they welcomed dozens of Palestinian detainees freed by Israel who arrived aboard buses in Ramallah, an AFP journalist reported.

Stepping off the bus in grey tracksuits, many detainees were raised onto the shoulders of people waiting while others walked through the crowd.

Israel's prison service confirmed on Saturday that it had released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, which earlier saw Hamas freed four Israeli soldiers.

"After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the Ofer and Ktziot prisons," the statement said, adding that a total of 200 prisoners had been freed.

12:01 AM

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Gaza Prisoners Media Office slams attacks on freed detainees
11:42 PM
The New Arab Staff

Gaza Prisoners' Media Office has denounced the ongoing assaults by Israeli forces on freed Palestinian detainees, including those deported, even in the final moments of their detention.

In a statement issued by Hamas, the office described these actions as part of Israel's systematic policy against prisoners and a reaction to the "heroic resistance displayed during the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' operation and the achievements secured through the honourable prisoner exchange deal."

The statement follows Israeli forces raiding the homes of several former Palestinian prisoners recently freed as part of a prisoner exchange deal, aiming to suppress celebrations marking their release.

Arrest of Electronic Intifada exec free speech attack: HRF
11:24 PM
The New Arab Staff

Dyab Abou Jahjah, founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), has condemned the arrest of Electronic Intifada director Ali Abunimah by Swiss authorities before a scheduled speaking event in Zurich.

Calling the detention "an attack on free expression and the solidarity movement," Abou Jahjah wrote on X that Abunimah is a “political prisoner” and demanded his immediate release.

The Belgium-based HRF, established five months ago, has been actively gathering lawyers and activists globally to file cases against Israeli soldiers, using social media evidence shared by the soldiers themselves.

Teen injured during Israeli raid on West Bank's Hebron
11:09 PM
The New Arab Staff

A 17-year-old Palestinian was shot in the head with a rubber-coated bullet fired by Israeli forces during a military raid on Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

According to local sources cited by Wafa news agency, the teen was injured as Israeli troops raided the home of Akram Badawi, a former detainee recently released under the ceasefire agreement.

Macron tells all parties to honour Lebanon ceasefire
10:49 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron called Saturday on all parties to the Lebanon ceasefire to honour their commitments as soon as possible, his office said, as Beirut accused Israel of "procrastination".

Macron made the request during a telephone conversation with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, a day after Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu said their troop pull-out could go beyond the Sunday deadline.

French president Emmanuel Macron [Getty]
Electronic Intifada exec director arrested in Switzerland
10:31 PM
The New Arab Staff

Ali Abunimah, executive director of UK pro-Palestine news publication Electronic Intifada, was arrested in Switzerland while on a speaking tour.

According to the site, he was questioned by police at Zurich airport before being detained.

His arrest is seen as part of a growing backlash against expressions of solidarity with Palestine, with Abunimah having access to legal counsel.

One killed in Israeli attack on Balata refugee camp
10:09 PM
The New Arab Staff

A Palestinian man, Ahmad al-Hashash, was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a military raid on the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank.

He was initially taken to hospital in serious condition but later succumbed to his injuries, according to Wafa news agency.

Palestinian prisoners arrive in Egypt in bittersweet release
9:40 PM
The New Arab Staff

Two buses carrying 70 freed Palestinian prisoners arrived in Egypt as part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, according to Egypt’s Al-Qahera News channel.

The family of Munif Abu Atwan, a released prisoner from Dura, near Hebron, expressed mixed emotions after seeing him arrive at the Rafah crossing.

While overjoyed by his release after 23 years in prison, they were saddened by the inability to meet him. Atwan had been serving a life sentence.

Palestinian toddler dies after being shot in head amid raid
9:15 PM
The New Arab Staff

A two-year-old Palestinian girl was shot in the head during an Israeli raid on a village south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) confirmed that its teams transferred the injured child to a hospital for treatment.

However, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has now announced her death following the incident.

Who are the Palestinians released in today's exchange?
8:36 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners , 120 of them serving life sentences, from its jails as part of a ceasefire deal. They ranged in age from 16 to 67.

Some were set free into an exuberant West Bank, while those whose offenses were considered too serious were transferred to Egypt.

The reception for prisoners in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, revealed an outpouring of support for the rival Hamas group.

There was no such reception for the 70 prisoners sent into exile, whose convoy made its way south and quietly slipped through Gaza’s Rafah border crossing into Egypt.

Prominent Palestinian Prisoners Released on Saturday:

  1. Mohammed Aradeh (42): An activist with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Aradeh was sentenced to life for various offenses during the second intifada. He gained fame for his 2021 escape from a high-security Israeli prison. He was welcomed as a hero in Ramallah.

  2. Mohammed Odeh (52), Wael Qassim (54), Wissam Abbasi (48): All three were members of Hamas and responsible for deadly attacks during the second intifada. They were sentenced to multiple life terms for bombing attacks that killed 24 people, including five Americans.

  3. The Abu Hamid Brothers (Nasser, Mohammad, Sharif): These three brothers were sentenced to life for deadly militant attacks in 2002. Their family has a history of involvement in Palestinian militancy. Their brother, Nasser Abu Hamid, who founded the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, died in prison in 2022, sparking protests.

  4. Mohammad al-Tous (67): Once the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, al-Tous was arrested in 1985 and spent 39 years in Israeli prison. He was released and exiled to Egypt.

One of the Palestinian prisoners released by Israel reacts while being carried [Getty]
Israeli military sets up roadblocks in southern Lebanon
8:04 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel's military Saturday set up roadblocks across border towns and roads in a strategic valley in southern Lebanon, a day before the deadline for it to withdraw from the area under an agreement that halted its war with the Hezbollah.

In a statement Saturday, the Israeli military said the agreement is progressing. But it said in some sectors, "it has been delayed and will take slightly longer."

The Lebanese military has said that they had deployed in areas following Israeli troops’ withdrawal, and in a statement Saturday accused the Israeli military of "procrastinating" in their withdrawal from other areas.

Washington appears to support an extension of this withdrawal phase.

While Lebanese army soldiers are dispersed across the south’s western sector, Israeli troops remained in control of most of the southeastern sector.

Members of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said Israeli tanks and bulldozers have unexpectedly moved and set up several roadblocks, apparently in an attempt to prevent displaced Lebanese people trying to return to their villages.

In Mays al-Jabal, peacekeepers from a Nepalese battalion watched in their position along the UN-mandated Blue Line as an Israeli jet flew overhead following the sound of what they said was an Israeli controlled demolition of a building.

“There is still a lot of IDF (Israeli army) activity going on in the area,” said Maj. Dinesh Bhandari of UNIFIL’s Nepalese battalion in Mays al-Jabal overlooking the Blue Line. "We are waiting for the deconfliction and then we will support to deploy the LAF (Lebanese army) in that position."

(AP)

UN refugee chief urges West to lift Syria sanctions
7:49 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

UN High Comissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on Western governments Saturday to lift their sanctions against Syria, describing them as an "obstacle" to the return of millions of refugees.

Speaking during a visit to Damascus, Grandi said that last month's overthrow of longtime president Bashar al-Assad had created "an opportunity in this country that we haven't had in decades, and I think we need to take it".

During 13 years of civil war sparked by Assad's brutal repression of protests against his rule in 2011, the European Union and the United States imposed successive rounds of sanctions and millions of Syrians fled abroad.

"If sanctions are lifted, this will improve the conditions in the places where people return," Grandi said.

"It will be an additional factor to encourage people to return.

"Sanctions were created for another situation. So they have to be reviewed and hopefully lifted. Sanctions are an important obstacle at the moment for the return of refugees."

Filippo Grandi (Photo by OMAR HAJ KADOUR / AFP)
1 killed, 3 injured as Israel army open fire in central Gaza
7:30 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces shot at Palestinians gathered near the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza, killing one and injuring three.

The Israeli military stated the shots were intended to disperse "suspects posing a threat," claiming no intent to harm.

White House releases hold on bombs supply to Israel: Axios
7:07 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The White House has instructed the US military to release a hold imposed by Joe Biden's administration on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, Axios reported on Saturday, citing three Israeli officials.

The move was widely expected. Biden put the hold on the delivery of the 2,000-pound bombs due to concern over the impact they could have in Gaza during the war.

Palestinian shot by Israeli soldiers transferred to hospital
6:55 PM
The New Arab Staff

A Quds News Network video shows first responders transferring a wounded Palestinian in central Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire on forcibly displaced Palestinians attempting to return to northern homes.

At least one person was killed, and several others were injured.

Israeli forces raid homes of freed Palestinian prisoners
6:11 PM
The New Arab Staff

Israeli forces have reportedly stormed the homes of several freed Palestinian prisoners, according to Al Jazeera Arabic and Wafa news agency. Key incidents include:

  1. Ayman Muhammad Ali's Home: Located in a village south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
  2. Ashraf al-Zagheer al-Zagheer's Home: Situated in Kafr Aqab, north of occupied East Jerusalem. Reports indicate that celebrations were prohibited after a Hamas flag was raised during his return gathering. Israeli forces arrested Amir al-Zagheer, Ashraf’s brother, and injured two people during the raid.
  3. Saeed Nasser Arar's Celebration: In Qarawat Bani Zeid, northwest of Ramallah, Israeli forces disrupted a celebration marking his return.
Israel detains 8 Palestinians from occupied West Bank
6:00 PM
The New Arab Staff

Eight Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

Local sources told Wafa the forces arrested a women after storming her house in Hebron and a brother of a detainee was arrested north of Jerusalem. Six others were arrested in raids across the territory.

Netanyahu: Gaza soldier release 'very happy moment'
5:30 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the release of four women soldiers on Saturday was a "very happy moment", as he spoke with the parents of one freed captive.

"This is a very happy moment that we have been waiting for a long time," Netanyahu told the parents of Liri Albag, who was released earlier on Saturday along with three other women, according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

Freed Israeli soldiers in 'stable' condition: hospital
5:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Four Israeli women soldiers freed from Gaza on Saturday are in stable condition, a doctor at the hospital they were taken to told a press conference.

"After an initial medical assessment, I am pleased to report that their medical condition is stable," said Lena Feldman Koren, deputy director of the Rabin Medical Center near Tel Aviv, adding that "as expected, the prolonged captivity in harsh conditions is evident."

US to work toward release of all remaining captives in Gaza
4:40 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The United States will continue working toward "the release of all remaining [captives]" in Gaza, the White House said Saturday, hailing the freeing of four Israeli soldiers as part of a ceasefire deal.

"The United States will continue with its great partner Israel to push for the release of all remaining hostages and the pursuit of peace throughout the region," the White House said in a statement.

Israeli forces kill 1 Palestinian in Wadi Gaza
4:02 PM
The New Arab Staff

One Palestinian was killed by Israeli forces on Saturday south of Wadi Gaza, Wafa reports.

The publication says Israeli forces opened fire at internally displaced Palestinians returning home to north of the Gaza Strip, injuring civilians including a child.

Hamas accuses Israel of delaying implementing Gaza truce
3:30 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas said on Saturday that Israel was delaying the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire terms by preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to north of the enclave, warning that such delays could have "repercussions" for the subsequent stages of the agreement.

(Reuters)

Bulgaria 'welcomes' release of Israeli-Bulgarian soldier
3:01 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Bulgaria on Saturday welcomed the release of Israeli-Bulgarian soldier Daniella Gilboa from captivity by Hamas in Gaza.

"It is with great relief and joy that Bulgaria welcomes the release of the Bulgarian national Daniella Gilboa," the country's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"This positive development is the result of intensive diplomatic efforts in which Bulgaria actively participated."

Israel warns Lebanese against returning to area at border
2:31 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Israeli army on Saturday warned residents of dozens of Lebanese villages near the border against returning until further notice, a day after Israel said its forces would remain in south Lebanon beyond a Sunday deadline for their departure.

The Israeli military claims it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and dismantling its infrastructure in the south.

(Reuters)

70 freed and 'deported' Palestinian prisoners reach Egypt
2:12 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Seventy Palestinian prisoners arrived aboard buses in Egypt on Saturday after being released from Israel as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal, state-linked Egyptian media reported.

Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the prisoners were those "deported" by Israel, and said they would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals for treatment.

Crowds of Palestinians erupt in joy as prisoners freed
2:11 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Crowds of Palestinians erupted in joy as they welcomed dozens of Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel who arrived aboard buses in Ramallah, an AFP journalist reported.

Stepping off the bus in grey tracksuits, many prisoners were raised onto the shoulders of people waiting, while others walked through the crowd.

Israel confirms release of 200 Palestinian prisoners
1:00 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel's prison service confirmed on Saturday that it had released 200 Palestinian prisoners as part of a Gaza ceasefire deal.

"After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the Ofer and Ktziot prisons," the statement said, adding that a total of 200 prisoners had been freed.

Freed Israeli soldiers on way to hospital on helicopter
12:31 PM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Four Israeli women soldiers freed from captivity in Gaza on Saturday were aboard a military helicopter with their parents and being flown to hospital, the army said in a statement.

"Daniella Gilboa, Liri Albag, Naama Levy, and Karina Ariev, together with their parents, just boarded an Israeli Air Force helicopter to make their way to the hospital, where they will be reunited with the rest of their families and receive medical treatment" it said in a statement.

Israeli forces continue attack on Jenin city and its camp
12:01 PM
The New Arab Staff

The Israeli army continued its attacks on Jenin and its refugee camp for the fifth day in a row, killing 14 civilians and injuring others.

The forces have raided several villages and towns, detaining civilians as well.

Buses with released Palestinian detainees leave prisons
11:32 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Buses carrying Palestinian prisoners freed as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal departed from two Israel prisons on Saturday, AFP journalists reported.

The buses left Ofer prison in the occupied West Bank and Ktziot prison in the Negev desert.

Israel military concerned for 'fate' of last child captives
11:14 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Israeli military has "deep concerns" for the "fate" of the two remaining child captives in Gaza, spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement on Saturday.

Israel "insists on the return" of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, Hagari said, adding "we are deeply concerned for their fate" and their mother, whose deaths Hamas had announced more than a year ago but Israeli authorities have not confirmed.

Israel has released 70 Palestinian prisoners into Egypt
11:13 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Egyptian state-run TV says Israel has released 70 Palestinian prisoners into Egypt in the Gaza ceasefire deal.

What was in the Hamas 'gift bags' given to freed captives?
11:06 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Three Israeli women captives released from Gaza by Hamas as part of the captive exchange deal on Sunday were handed what appeared to be "gift bags" by fighters from the Palestinian movement last week.

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Israel won't allow Gazans' return to north yet
10:48 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel said on Saturday it would block the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza until civilian woman hostage Arbel Yehud is released.

"Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans to the northern part of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel Yehud, who was supposed to be released today, is arranged," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. Minutes later, two Hamas sources told AFP that Yehud was "alive and in good health".

(Reuters)

Lebanon army accuses Israel of 'procrastination'
10:46 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The Lebanese army on Saturday said it was ready to deploy its forces in the country's south, accusing Israel of "procrastination" in its withdrawal in time for a deadline the following day.

"There has been a delay at a number of stages as a result of the procrastination in the withdrawal from the Israeli enemy's side," the army said in a statement, confirming it was "ready to continue its deployment as soon as the Israeli enemy withdraws".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Friday said the military's withdrawal would continue beyond the Sunday deadline stipulated by the deal.

Freed Israeli soldiers reunited with parents: military
10:45 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The four Israeli women soldiers freed by Hamas in Gaza were reunited with their parents inside Israel on Saturday, the military said.

The four, all soldiers, "have arrived at the initial reception point in southern Israel where they are being reuinted with their parents", the military said in a statement, adding they were acompanied by army medics and would undergo "an initial medical assessment".

Israelis celebrate in Tel Aviv as four soldiers released
10:38 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israelis cried tears of joy in Tel Aviv's "Hostage Square" on Saturday as they watched footage of four Israeli soldiers being freed by Hamas in Gaza.

The crowd burst into cheers at footage of them being handed over to the Red Cross broadcast on a big screen in the square.

Israel to free Saturday longest-serving Palestinian inmate
10:32 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel will on Saturday free a Palestinian inmate who has spent the longest continuous period in Israeli detention, Mohammed al-Tous, who was jailed for nearly four decades, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club advocacy group.

Aged 69 and in prison since 1985, Tous is a member of Fatah, the movement founded by late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Tous was on the list of detainees to be released in exchange for four Israeli soldiers released on Saturday, the NGO told AFP.

Adraee: Hamas has not abided with ceasefire agreement
10:30 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas has not abided by the ceasefire agreement with Israel to release Israeli civilians first, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a post on X on Saturday.

His statement came after Hamas released four female Israeli soldier hostages in return for some 200 Palestinian prisoners.

Four Israeli soldiers cross from Gaza into Israel: military
10:16 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The four Israeli women soldiers who were freed by Hamas militants on Saturday had crossed into Israeli territory from Gaza, the military said.

"A short while ago, accompanied by IDF and ISA forces, the four returning hostages crossed the border into Israeli territory," the military said in a statement.

Gaza development put back 60 years by war: UNDP chief
10:00 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Israel's war on Gaza has put back development in Gaza by 60 years and mobilising the tens of billions of dollars needed for reconstruction will be an uphill task, the United Nations said.

Around two-thirds of all buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged, and removing the estimated 42 million tonnes of rubble will be dangerous and complex, the head of the UN Development Programme told AFP.

"Probably between 65 percent to 70 percent of buildings in Gaza have either been entirely destroyed or damaged," Achim Steiner said in an interview at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss ski resort town of Davos.

"But we're also talking about an economy that has been destroyed, where we estimate that roughly 60 years of development have been lost in this conflict over 15 months.

"Two million people who are in the Gaza Strip have lost not only their shelter: they've lost public infrastructure, sewage treatment systems, freshwater supply systems, public waste management. All of these fundamental infrastructure and service elements simply do not exist."

Israeli soldiers handed over to Israeli army
9:49 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

The four Israeli women soldiers freed by Hamas as part of a Saturday swap are now in the custody of Israeli forces in Gaza, the military said in a statement.

"The four returning hostages are currently being accompanied by IDF (military) special forces and ISA (Shin Bet security agency) forces on their return to Israeli territory, where they will undergo an initial medical assessment," the military said.

Hamas: 70 of the prisoners to be freed would be deported
9:31 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas said that 70 of the 200 Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel on Saturday would be deported outside of Gaza and the West Bank, according to a statement by the group.

(Reuters)

Hamas hands 4 female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross
9:20 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas hands 4 female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross after parading them before a crowd.

4 Red Cross vehicles arrive at Gaza square for handover
9:14 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Four Red Cross vehicles arrived at a Gaza square where Hamas is expected to hand over four Israeli women captives in a Saturday swap, an AFP reporter said.

The captives to be freed are four Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 120 who have been serving life sentences in Israeli jails, Palestinian sources said.

Hamas releases list of 200 Palestinian prisoners to be freed
9:01 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas released the list of 200 Palestinian prisoners set to be released by Israel on Saturday in exchange for four female Israeli soldiers as part of a ceasefire agreement between the group and Israel.

The 200 prisoners include long-serving inmates and others with lengthy sentences.

(Reuters)

The four female Israeli soldiers to be released
9:00 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Hamas issued a list of four Israeli women soldiers it said would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails on Saturday.

The four were all members of a mainly female unit of observers posted around Gaza to watch for signs of Hamas activity, who were among around 250 captives seized during the 7 October attacks.

Footage showing the capture of the four, as well as another soldier, at the Nahal Oz military base was broadcast on Israeli television last year after their families gave permission in a bid to increase awareness and build pressure to get them back.

Looking dazed and still wearing their pyjamas, the images, taken from Hamas bodycam footage recovered by the Israeli military, showed them sitting on the floor with their hands tied, some of them bloodied.

The captives soon to be released are Naama Levy, 20; Daniella Giboa, 20; Liri Albag, 19; and Karina Ariev, 20.

(Reuters)

Dozens of Hamas fighters gather at key Gaza square
8:32 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

Dozens of masked, armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad members arrived at a key square in Gaza City on Saturday, where four Israeli women captives are expected to be handed over to the Red Cross, an AFP reporter said.

The fighters, carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers, gathered in rows, many holding their groups' banners and wearing green headbands, as crowds of Gaza residents gathered around them to watch.

In contrast to chaotic scenes the week before, when crowds threatened to overwhelm vehicles holding the three captives released at the time, on Saturday, the militants quickly established a cordon around the square, keeping the crowds back.

ICRC team in Gaza en route to collect Israeli captives
8:00 AM
The New Arab Staff & Agencies

A team from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza were on the way on Saturday to collect Israeli captives from Hamas, an official involved in the operation told Reuters.

(Reuters)