Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, promised Thursday to hold a "national dialogue conference" in his first address to the nation since the fall of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

Sharaa, who was appointed interim president a day earlier for an unspecified transitional period, vowed to preserve "civil peace" and Syria's territorial unity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed what he described as "shocking scenes" during the handover on Thursday of seven hostages including two Israelis.

"I view with great severity the shocking scenes during the release of our hostages. This is yet another proof of the unimaginable cruelty of the Hamas terrorist organisation," Netanyahu said in a statement, after television images showed gunmen struggling to control hundreds of Gazans gathered to witness the handover.

Zakaria Zubeidi, a former leader of a Palestinian militant group jailed for attacks that killed several Israelis, was released Thursday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

Zubeidi, 49, is one of the most high-profile of 110 prisoners, including 30 minors, freed in exchange for three Israelis, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group said.

Zubeidi rose to prominence during the Second Intifada, a Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, becoming one of the best-known militant leaders in Jenin and its refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

An Iraqi refugee in Sweden who repeatedly burned the Koran in 2023, sparking outrage in Muslim countries, has been shot dead, investigators said Thursday, with Sweden's prime minister suggesting a "foreign power" might have been involved.

Prosecutor Rasmus Oman confirmed to AFP that an investigation had been opened into the murder of 38-year-old Salwan Momika and that five people had been arrested.

"We're in the very early stages... there's a lot of information gathering. Five people have been detained suspected of involvement in the crime," Oman said.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza near the family home of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday in anticipation of two Israeli hostages being released.

Onlookers clambered over smashed concrete on the upper floors of buildings, devastated in more than 15 months of war with Israel in Gaza, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gadi Moses, an 80-year-old Israeli-German, and Arbel Yehud, a 29-year-old Israeli woman.

A record 92.3 million passengers travelled through Dubai's international airport last year, its operator said on Thursday, extending a post-pandemic tear that exemplifies the city's economic boom.

The figure surpassed the previous high of 89.1 million in 2018, Dubai Airports said, despite regional tensions caused by the Gaza war and last April's unprecedented floods that severely disrupted flights.

The United Arab Emirates city, located between Asia, Europe and Africa, has now been ranked as the world's busiest international air hub for a decade.

A man who repeatedly burnt the Koran in 2023 in Sweden, sparking outrage in Muslim countries, has been shot dead, media reported Thursday as police confirmed a man died in a shooting the day before.

A Stockholm court was due to rule on Thursday whether Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi who burned Korans at a slew of protests, was guilty of inciting ethnic hatred.

It postponed the ruling until February 3, saying that "because Salwan Momika has died, more time is needed."

Ayse Barim, a renowned manager of Turkish television stars, has always steered clear of politics, but that did not help her escape prison on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government".

Barim, put into pre-trial detention on Monday, joined a long list of personalities being prosecuted by the authorities, a move denounced by opposition parties that accuse the government of using the judiciary to intimidate dissidents.

The families of Thai farm workers held for over a year in Gaza cheered and wept with relief Thursday as they were freed in a hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.

Five Thais were released along with three Israelis held by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending the Gaza war.

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, 31 Thais were abducted, with 23 released by the end of that year and two confirmed dead in May.

The United Nations said Thursday that its aid agency UNRWA would continue working in all Palestinian territories, including east Jerusalem, even as Israel cut ties with the organisation.

After Israel accused UNRWA of providing cover for Hamas militants, legislation severing ties with the agency came into force on Thursday, a move likely to hamper its vital services after 15 months of war in Gaza.

The agency is banned from operating on Israeli soil, and contact between it and Israeli officials is also forbidden.