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Tag: family

  • US developer builds homes for displaced Ukrainians, offering hope despite war and crisis

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    The Russian invasion of Ukraine has displaced millions, scattering families across the country and abroad. For many, heavy fighting in the east means crowded shelters, borrowed beds and fading hope.Related video above: President Trump signals he’s holding back on long-range missiles for UkraineAbout 400 miles west of the front line, however, a privately built settlement near Kyiv offers a rare reprieve: stable housing, personal space and the dignity of a locked door.This is Hansen Village. Its rows of modular homes provide housing for 2,000 people who are mostly displaced from occupied territories. Children ride bikes along paved lanes, passing amenities like a swimming pool, basketball court, health clinic and school.The village is the creation of Dell Loy Hansen, a Utah real estate developer who has spent over $140 million building and repairing homes across Ukraine since 2022.At 72, he’s eager to do more.A new missionHansen’s arrival in Ukraine followed a public reckoning. In 2020, he sold his Major League Soccer team, Real Salt Lake, after reports that he made racist comments. He denied the allegations in an interview with The Associated Press but said the experience ultimately gave him a new mission.“I went through something painful, but it gave me humility,” he said. “That humility led me to Ukraine.”Seeing people lose everything, Hansen said he felt compelled to act. “This isn’t charity to me, it’s responsibility,” he said. “If you can build, then build. Don’t just watch.”Hansen now oversees more than a dozen projects in Ukraine: expanding Hansen Village, providing cash and other assistance to elderly people and families, and supporting a prosthetics clinic.He’s planning a cemetery to honor displaced people, and a not-for-profit affordable housing program designed to be scaled up nationally.Ukraine’s housing crisis is staggering. Nearly one in three citizens have fled their homes, including 4.5 million registered as internally displaced.Around the eastern city of Dnipro, volunteers convert old buildings into shelters as evacuees arrive daily from the war-torn Donbas region. One site — a crumbling Soviet-era dorm — now houses 149 elderly residents, mostly in their seventies and eighties.Funding comes from a patchwork of donations: foreign aid, local charities and individual contributions including cash, volunteer labor or old appliances and boxes of food, all put together to meet urgent needs.“I call it begging: knocking on every door, and explaining why each small thing is necessary,” said Veronika Chumak, who runs the center. “But we keep going. Our mission is to restore people’s sense of life.”Valentina Khusak, 86, was evacuated by charity volunteers from Myrnohrad, a coal-mining town, after Russian shelling cut off water and power. She lost her husband and son before the war.“Maybe we’ll return home, maybe not,” she said. “What matters is that places like this exist — where the old and lonely are treated with warmth and respect.”A nation under strainUkraine’s government is struggling to fund shelters and repairs as its relief budget buckles under relentless missile and drone attacks on infrastructure.By late 2024, 13% of Ukrainian homes were damaged or destroyed, according to a U.N.-led assessment. The cost of national reconstruction is estimated to be $524 billion, nearly triple the country’s annual economic output.Since June, Ukraine has evacuated over 100,000 more people from the east, expanding shelters and transit hubs. New evacuees are handed an emergency government subsidy payment of $260.Yevhen Tuzov, who helped thousands find shelter during the 2022 siege of Mariupol, said many feel forgotten.“Sometimes six strangers must live together in one small room,” Tuzov said. “For elderly people, this is humiliating.“What Hansen is doing is great — to build villages — but why can’t we do that too?”’People here don’t need miracles’Hansen began his work after visiting Ukraine in early 2022. He started by wiring cash aid to families, then used his decades of experience to build modular housing.Mykyta Bogomol, 16, lives in foster care apartments at Hansen Village with seven other children and two dogs. He fled the southern Kherson region after Russian occupation and flooding.“Life here is good,” he said. “During the occupation, it was terrifying. Soldiers forced kids into Russian schools. Here, I finally feel safe.”Hansen visits Ukraine several times a year. From Salt Lake City, he spends hours daily on video calls, tracking war updates, coordinating aid, and lobbying U.S. lawmakers.“I’ve built homes all my life, but nothing has meant more to me than this,” he said. “People here don’t need miracles — just a roof, safety, and someone who doesn’t give up on them.”A fraction of what’s neededLast year, Hansen sold part of his businesses for $14 million — all of it, he said, went to Ukraine.Still, his contribution is a fraction of what’s needed. With entire towns uninhabitable, private aid remains vital but insufficient.Hansen has met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked him for supporting vulnerable communities. Later this year, Hansen will receive one of Ukraine’s highest civilian honors — an award he says is not for himself.“I don’t need recognition,” he said. “If this award makes the elderly and displaced more visible, then it means something. Otherwise, it’s just a medal.” Associated Press journalists Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Vasilisa Stepanenko and Dmytro Zhyhinas in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

    TARASIVKA, Ukraine —

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine has displaced millions, scattering families across the country and abroad. For many, heavy fighting in the east means crowded shelters, borrowed beds and fading hope.

    Related video above: President Trump signals he’s holding back on long-range missiles for Ukraine

    About 400 miles west of the front line, however, a privately built settlement near Kyiv offers a rare reprieve: stable housing, personal space and the dignity of a locked door.

    This is Hansen Village. Its rows of modular homes provide housing for 2,000 people who are mostly displaced from occupied territories. Children ride bikes along paved lanes, passing amenities like a swimming pool, basketball court, health clinic and school.

    The village is the creation of Dell Loy Hansen, a Utah real estate developer who has spent over $140 million building and repairing homes across Ukraine since 2022.

    At 72, he’s eager to do more.

    A new mission

    Hansen’s arrival in Ukraine followed a public reckoning. In 2020, he sold his Major League Soccer team, Real Salt Lake, after reports that he made racist comments. He denied the allegations in an interview with The Associated Press but said the experience ultimately gave him a new mission.

    “I went through something painful, but it gave me humility,” he said. “That humility led me to Ukraine.”

    Seeing people lose everything, Hansen said he felt compelled to act. “This isn’t charity to me, it’s responsibility,” he said. “If you can build, then build. Don’t just watch.”

    Hansen now oversees more than a dozen projects in Ukraine: expanding Hansen Village, providing cash and other assistance to elderly people and families, and supporting a prosthetics clinic.

    He’s planning a cemetery to honor displaced people, and a not-for-profit affordable housing program designed to be scaled up nationally.

    Ukraine’s housing crisis is staggering. Nearly one in three citizens have fled their homes, including 4.5 million registered as internally displaced.

    Around the eastern city of Dnipro, volunteers convert old buildings into shelters as evacuees arrive daily from the war-torn Donbas region. One site — a crumbling Soviet-era dorm — now houses 149 elderly residents, mostly in their seventies and eighties.

    Funding comes from a patchwork of donations: foreign aid, local charities and individual contributions including cash, volunteer labor or old appliances and boxes of food, all put together to meet urgent needs.

    “I call it begging: knocking on every door, and explaining why each small thing is necessary,” said Veronika Chumak, who runs the center. “But we keep going. Our mission is to restore people’s sense of life.”

    Valentina Khusak, 86, was evacuated by charity volunteers from Myrnohrad, a coal-mining town, after Russian shelling cut off water and power. She lost her husband and son before the war.

    “Maybe we’ll return home, maybe not,” she said. “What matters is that places like this exist — where the old and lonely are treated with warmth and respect.”

    A nation under strain

    Ukraine’s government is struggling to fund shelters and repairs as its relief budget buckles under relentless missile and drone attacks on infrastructure.

    By late 2024, 13% of Ukrainian homes were damaged or destroyed, according to a U.N.-led assessment. The cost of national reconstruction is estimated to be $524 billion, nearly triple the country’s annual economic output.

    Since June, Ukraine has evacuated over 100,000 more people from the east, expanding shelters and transit hubs. New evacuees are handed an emergency government subsidy payment of $260.

    Yevhen Tuzov, who helped thousands find shelter during the 2022 siege of Mariupol, said many feel forgotten.

    “Sometimes six strangers must live together in one small room,” Tuzov said. “For elderly people, this is humiliating.

    “What Hansen is doing is great — to build villages — but why can’t we do that too?”

    ‘People here don’t need miracles’

    Hansen began his work after visiting Ukraine in early 2022. He started by wiring cash aid to families, then used his decades of experience to build modular housing.

    Mykyta Bogomol, 16, lives in foster care apartments at Hansen Village with seven other children and two dogs. He fled the southern Kherson region after Russian occupation and flooding.

    “Life here is good,” he said. “During the occupation, it was terrifying. Soldiers forced kids into Russian schools. Here, I finally feel safe.”

    Hansen visits Ukraine several times a year. From Salt Lake City, he spends hours daily on video calls, tracking war updates, coordinating aid, and lobbying U.S. lawmakers.

    “I’ve built homes all my life, but nothing has meant more to me than this,” he said. “People here don’t need miracles — just a roof, safety, and someone who doesn’t give up on them.”

    A fraction of what’s needed

    Last year, Hansen sold part of his businesses for $14 million — all of it, he said, went to Ukraine.

    Still, his contribution is a fraction of what’s needed. With entire towns uninhabitable, private aid remains vital but insufficient.

    Hansen has met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked him for supporting vulnerable communities. Later this year, Hansen will receive one of Ukraine’s highest civilian honors — an award he says is not for himself.

    “I don’t need recognition,” he said. “If this award makes the elderly and displaced more visible, then it means something. Otherwise, it’s just a medal.”

    Associated Press journalists Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Vasilisa Stepanenko and Dmytro Zhyhinas in Pavlohrad, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

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  • Parents warned over Instagram’s new teen rules: “false sense of security”

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    Instagram is introducing its biggest update yet to online safety for young users by applying PG-13 content guidelines to all teen accounts, Meta announced this week. 

    Under the new regime, under-18s will continue being blocked from seeing sexually suggestive or explicitly violent content as before, but Meta said that the app will now step further by avoiding recommending posts containing strong language, risky stunts or anything that could “encourage potentially harmful behaviors.” 

    Newsweek reached out to Meta’s press team via email.  

    Instagram will also block searches on mature topics, such as “alcohol” or “gore”; penalize accounts that repeatedly post age-inappropriate content; and extend the curbs to Instagram’s AI features. Importantly, teens under 18 will be automatically placed in the 13+ mode and cannot opt out without parental permission.  

    For parents seeking greater controls, Meta is introducing a stricter “Limited Content” mode that further restricts teen access and disables comment interactions.  

    These changes will begin rolling out this week in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, with global rollout scheduled by end of 2025, but campaigners, parents and tech experts remain deeply skeptical about how effective this shift will be in practice. 

    Campaigner Concerns 

    Advocacy groups argue that these revisions are far from sufficient. A recent report by the HEAT Initiative, ParentsTogether and others found that 60 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds had encountered unsafe content or unwanted messages on Instagram in the past six months, despite existing safety tools.  

    Yaron Litwin, an online safety and AI expert, told Newsweek that enforcement will determine whether these new measures succeed. 

    Litwin said: “Hopefully, its age prediction model will actually prevent … some children from accessing explicit and dangerous content on their feeds.

    “However, that is [a] big if, and in any case, there is much harmful content on social-media platforms, including Instagram, that are not obvious enough for filters to catch.” 

    Meta’s age classification system detects when a user is under 18, even if they claim otherwise. It analyzes signals from their profile and behavior, such as which accounts they follow, what content they engage with, and when their account was created to estimate whether they are likely underage. 

    “Whether it’s hate speech, glorification of eating disorders, content that is technically compliant although very suggestive, a young Instagram user can still be exposed to much that his or her parents would find objectionable,” Litwin added. 

    Parental Perspective 

    Many parents have long struggled to monitor their teens’ online experience. U.K.-based mom Faye McCann is concerned about how the new guidelines will work in practice.  

    McCann, also a business strategist and social media expert, told Newsweek there is a big gap between what Meta says its offering and what teens will actually see. 

    “I can’t help but feel this is partly a reaction to years of public pressure,” McCann said. “Meta has been criticized relentlessly about teen safety, and this feels like a step in the right direction, but it’s not the full solution parents and campaigners have been asking for.

    “I fully understand their intentions, but, right now, it feels more like a box-ticking exercise than a deep commitment to genuinely protecting young people.” 

    Algorithms vs Real Life 

    Other experts agreed that moderation—not messaging—is the real challenge. 

    Miruna Dragomir, the chief marketing officer at Planable, a social-media management platform, said Instagram’s new rating system may make sense to parents, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem. She added that young users are adept at outsmarting moderation systems. 

    “People who use social media, especially youth, are very good at getting around limits by using code phrases, trendy lingo, and visual indicators that AI systems have trouble understanding,” Dragomir told Newsweek. “Every time a policy changes, kids come up with new ways to get around it, and they often know more about how to use the platform than adults do.”  

    Dragomir said that these changes could give parents “a false sense of security.” 

    “The most-honest answer is that these rules are a big step toward making areas safer, but they aren’t the only thing that will work,” she added. “Parents need to be involved in their teens’ online lives on a regular basis instead of just trusting what the site says. The best way to keep teens safe is to use better platform tools and have open family talks on how to think critically and use technology.” 

    For parents like McCann, transparency is a priority. “I want clear, simple ways to see what my children are being exposed to and control over that exposure,” she said. “That means tools that actually work, not just guidelines on paper. Instagram can set the rules all it wants, but unless they can make them enforceable in the real world, teens will still find a way around them—and that’s where the real risk lies.” 

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  • Video: Dog gets hold of lithium battery, setting fire in house

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    Normally, Colton the dog is a very good boy. The Sasser family from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was shocked after their very sweet boy managed to start a fire in their home last year. David Sasser with Chapel Hill Fire Rescue said they normally crate Colton, but on this particular day, they left the house to visit with family. The curious and playful dog was having the time of his life while playing in the family room and managed to pull a few items off the counter. That’s when Colton got hold of a lithium rechargeable backup battery. The battery then caught a rug on fire. “Thankfully, we have a monitored alarm system, so once Colton started the fire, our local department was called to respond,” Sasser said. He also said that everyone was safe; however, “Colton’s battery privileges have been revoked,” he said.What to know about lithium batteries:Stop using the battery if you notice these problems: • Odor • Change in color • Too much heat • Change in shape • Leaking • Odd noises Battery Disposal How to dispose of batteries: • Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. • Recycling is always the best option. • Take batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your community for disposal instructions. • Do not put discarded batteries in piles. Find out more about fire safety here.

    CHAPEL HILL, N.C. —

    Normally, Colton the dog is a very good boy.

    The Sasser family from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was shocked after their very sweet boy managed to start a fire in their home last year. David Sasser with Chapel Hill Fire Rescue said they normally crate Colton, but on this particular day, they left the house to visit with family.

    The curious and playful dog was having the time of his life while playing in the family room and managed to pull a few items off the counter. That’s when Colton got hold of a lithium rechargeable backup battery. The battery then caught a rug on fire.

    “Thankfully, we have a monitored alarm system, so once Colton started the fire, our local department was called to respond,” Sasser said. He also said that everyone was safe; however, “Colton’s battery privileges have been revoked,” he said.

    What to know about lithium batteries:

    Stop using the battery if you notice these problems:

    • Odor

    • Change in color

    • Too much heat

    • Change in shape

    • Leaking

    • Odd noises Battery Disposal

    How to dispose of batteries:

    • Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash.

    • Recycling is always the best option.

    • Take batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your community for disposal instructions.

    • Do not put discarded batteries in piles.

    Find out more about fire safety here.

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  • Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed by Family as They Thank Fans for Support

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    Getty Images

    Days after her sudden death, Diane Keaton’s family is shedding light on the case.

    In a statement to People magazine, Keaton’s family revealed that the legendary actress died from pneumonia.

    They wrote, “The Keaton family are very grateful for the extraordinary messages of love and support they have received these past few days on behalf of their beloved Diane, who passed away from pneumonia on October 11.”

    Keaton died at the age of 79 in California, leaving behind her two kids Dexter and Duke.

    As for how to remember Keaton, her family shared, “She loved her animals and she was steadfast in her support of the unhoused community, so any donations in her memory to a local food bank or an animal shelter would be a wonderful and much appreciated tribute to her.”

    Keaton’s friend Carole Bayer Sager recently recalled their final meeting.

    She told People magazine, “I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin. She had lost so much weight.”

    Bayer Sager went on to explain why Keaton had been spending so much time away from her dream home.

    “She had to go to Palm Springs because her house had been damaged inside, and they had to clean everything,” Sager said. “She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost.”

    Bayer Sager insisted that Keaton was still “magic light for everyone,” adding, “I just loved her. She was so special, she just lit up a room with her energy. She was happy and upbeat and taking photographs of everything she saw. She was completely creative; she never stopped creating.”

    The women had collaborated to co-write what became Keaton’s first and last single, “First Christmas,” which was released in November 2024.

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  • Mom stunned by what 11-month-old daughter asks: “still blown away”

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    A Kentucky mom was left stunned by what her 11-month-old asked her one day back in 2020.

    Sheena Boggs (@messandmercy) posted a clip on TikTok of her toddler, Ellie, walking across the room and holding out a book. “Read a book, please?” she asked her mom. 

    “It was one of those small, ordinary moments that felt so sweet, I just had to record it,” the 36-year-old told Newsweek. 

    Sheena, who is also mom to Jaxon, 8, and 3-year-old Alexander with husband Chris, said that her daughter has always been eager to explore the world around her.  

    “She rolled consistently from belly to back at just 2 months old, then from back to belly by 3 months,” Sheena said. “By 5 months, she was crawling on hands and knees, standing unassisted at 8 months, and walking by 9.” 

    Sheena homeschools her three children and said she believes that, by talking to them all day, having constant conversations and reading together, it played a key role in Ellie’s early speech development.  

    When Ellie started walking and talking before her first birthday, the mom of three said she was both amazed and amused. 

    “She just seemed so determined to be part of everything her older brother was doing,” Sheena said. “I remember, when I was potty training him, she simply declared that she too was done with diapers, and that was that; fully potty trained at 18 months with no accidents just because she was done!” 

    It wasn’t just family and friends who noticed Ellie’s advanced milestones either. “My mom always said Ellie reminded her of me, because I was an early talker too and have the ‘gift of gab,’” Sheena said.  

    The family’s pediatrician also commented that Ellie was “developing beautifully” and encouraged the parents to keep nurturing her interests. 

    “Our chiropractor always commented—and still does—on how incredibly strong she was. I think most people were just shocked to see such a little one walking and chatting so clearly,” Sheena added. 

    Now 6, Ellie continues to thrive. Looking back at old videos, Sheena is “still blown away” by what she could do at such a young age.  

    “She’s bright and inquisitive,” Boggs said. “She loves to ask questions, read books, and explain things in her own words.”

    After losing their first daughter during delivery, every milestone with their children holds special meaning for Sheena and Chris. “I never take a single one for granted,” Sheena said. “Whether they reach them early, late, or right on time, I just feel so grateful to watch them grow and become kind, thoughtful little humans.” 

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  • Asking Eric: After medical miracle, daughter is angry about mom’s travel

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    Dear Eric: I’m in my 60s and have a crippling disease that kept me housebound for nearly five years. My daughter moved back home around that time after her sister took her life and left behind a young son, whom we have been raising together.

    A new medication for this disease was recently approved. I’ve been taking it for two years, and it has led to incredibly impressive improvements. I have a new lease on life!

    The manufacturers of this medication invited me to be a patient ambassador for them this year. I receive a good stipend for traveling once every other month or so to talk with physicians, pharmacists and other patients struggling with this condition. The trips are very short (one to two days), and my physical needs and limitations are respected and accommodated.

    My daughter is angry about this and wants me to stop. She gives a number of reasons: That I’m shilling for Big Pharma, the time it takes for me to recover from trips, all the “what ifs,” (nonexistent) financial burdens, leaving her behind to cope with a recalcitrant teenager, et cetera. She refuses to participate or support my efforts in any way.

    I suspect there’s something else going on. Could she be worried about the time I will leave her behind permanently?

    What’s the best way to discuss this with someone who refuses to talk about the fact that I will not always be around, no matter how safe I try to be? I intend to grab this chance to provide a patient perspective and support others struggling with this disease. It matters to me. Yet I also want my family to accept and support me just as I support them.

    — Patient Patient

    Dear Patient: I’m sure you’re right: there are probably a lot of other emotions and triggers influencing your daughter’s position. This is understandable, but the first thing to remember is you don’t need her permission to live your life. Every family system is interconnected, and yours is no different. Collaborating to raise a child, who is surely still grieving the loss of his mother (as you are also still grieving) makes that interconnectedness even more complicated. Communication is key here, as is compromise, but I don’t see your daughter’s demands in that spirit.

    For the moment, table debate about your trips. You needn’t stop them, especially if they are helping you feel you’re living your purpose. But you, your daughter, and your grandson should participate jointly and individually in family therapy. Focus initially on the grief and the new dynamics of your family. Sometimes, when a loved one dies and life has to be dramatically rearranged, we make the first or most immediately available choice. After some of the initial shock has subsided, it’s good to revisit those early choices to make sure they still work for us. I’m not suggesting that your co-raising arrangement needs upending, instead therapy can be an opportunity to process what your shared goals are, how you’re working toward those goals, and any places where those goals don’t align.

    Your daughter may never be fully comfortable with your trips. Much of that is her work to do. But by continuing to have conversations that acknowledge how much has changed, you give each other the opportunity to keep changing and growing, too.

    Dear Eric: I wanted to respond to your advice to “Lonely At Night”, whose marriage was in trouble and whose husband refused to be physical. The letter writer wanted to get a dog for company, to which the husband was also opposed. You stated if the wife wants to get a dog and the husband does not, she should get a dog anyway. This is a dangerous recommendation for the dog.

    I have worked in dog rescue and adopt my own rescue dogs.

    I have seen way too many times that when one person wants a dog and the other does not, that poor dog suffers from neglect and quite often physical abuse from the party who never wanted the pet. Then they end up kicked out of the home, given to dangerous shelters or just suffering from the stress of moving to a new home.

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    R. Eric Thomas

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  • VIDEO: Hostages reunite with their families, friends in Israel

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    After two years of the Israel-Hamas war, all 20 living hostages have been freed and are in Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement. Video above: People celebrate at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv after hostages releasedThousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, singing and cheering as the initial hostages were released. Guy Gilboa-Dalal was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7. Evyatar David, Gilboa-Dalal’s childhood best friend, was also abducted from the festival and reunited with his family Monday.Watch below: Guy Gilboa-Dalal reunites with his family after being freedAlon Ohel was taken from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7.Watch below: Former hostage Alon Ohel meets with his familyEvyatar David was reunited with his family after being kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival along with his childhood best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who also returned to his family Monday.Watch below: Former hostage Evyatar David reunites with his familyBar Kupershtein was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7.Watch below: Released Israeli hostage Bar Kupershtein reunites with familyZiv and Gali Berman were kidnapped from their home in kibbutz Kfar-Aza on Oct. 7. Their mother, Liran Berman, told CNN in February that other hostages who had been released had informed the family that the twin brothers were alive but separated from each other.Watch below: Former hostages Gali and Ziv Berman on their way to hospital in Israeli Air Force helicopterMore than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners were also freed as part of the ceasefire.Watch below: People celebrate in West Bank as released Palestinians reunite with their familiesSenior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences was included in the ceasefire deal.Watch below: Released prisoner says prison conditions are terrible, celebrates releaseAll the hostages freed Monday are men, as women, children and men older than 50 were released under previous ceasefire deals.Watch below: The 13 remaining living hostages have been released by Hamas

    After two years of the Israel-Hamas war, all 20 living hostages have been freed and are in Israel as part of a ceasefire agreement.

    Video above: People celebrate at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv after hostages released

    Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, singing and cheering as the initial hostages were released.

    Guy Gilboa-Dalal was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7. Evyatar David, Gilboa-Dalal’s childhood best friend, was also abducted from the festival and reunited with his family Monday.

    Watch below: Guy Gilboa-Dalal reunites with his family after being freed

    Alon Ohel was taken from the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7.

    Watch below: Former hostage Alon Ohel meets with his family

    Evyatar David was reunited with his family after being kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival along with his childhood best friend, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who also returned to his family Monday.

    Watch below: Former hostage Evyatar David reunites with his family


    Ziv and Gali Berman were kidnapped from their home in kibbutz Kfar-Aza on Oct. 7. Their mother, Liran Berman, told CNN in February that other hostages who had been released had informed the family that the twin brothers were alive but separated from each other.

    Watch below: Former hostages Gali and Ziv Berman on their way to hospital in Israeli Air Force helicopter

    More than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners were also freed as part of the ceasefire.

    Watch below: People celebrate in West Bank as released Palestinians reunite with their families

    Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences was included in the ceasefire deal.

    Watch below: Released prisoner says prison conditions are terrible, celebrates release

    All the hostages freed Monday are men, as women, children and men older than 50 were released under previous ceasefire deals.

    Watch below: The 13 remaining living hostages have been released by Hamas


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  • Hamas releases all 20 remaining living hostages as part of Gaza ceasefire

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    Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands.The hostages, all men, returned to Israel, where they will be reunited with their families and undergo medical checks. The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.Meanwhile, a convoy of Israeli vehicles, Red Cross jeeps and buses left Ofer Prison for the occupied West Bank on Monday afternoon, carrying some of the 250 long-term prisoners set to be released in the exachange. The buses are headed to the center of Beitunia, the nearest Palestinian town, where friends and families await their arrival.In Tel Aviv, families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately.The photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.Earlier, while Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest. Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site.While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.”Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. Living hostages being released firstThe hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.With the hostages’ release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over.It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.Meanwhile, buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners.The exact timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.Trump is traveling to Israel and EgyptTrump arrived Monday in Israel, where the White House said he will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages.”The war is over,” Trump told to reporters as he departed — even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza.Among the most thorny is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.___Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.

    Hamas released all 20 remaining living hostages held in Gaza on Monday, as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that pummeled the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and had left scores of captives in militant hands.

    Seven of the hostages were released early Monday, while the remaining 13 were freed a few hours later.

    The 20, all men, were being reunited with their families and expected to undergo medical checks.

    The bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages are also expected to be handed over as part of the deal, although the exact timing remained unclear.

    Families and friends of the hostages who gathered in a square in Tel Aviv broke into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the first group of hostages was in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis watched the transfers at public screenings across the country.

    Israel released the first photos of hostages arriving home, including one showing 28-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman embracing as they were reunited. Hostages previously released had said the twins from Kfar Aza were held separately.

    The photos of the first seven hostages released Monday showed them looking pale but less gaunt than some of the hostages freed in January.

    Palestinians, meanwhile, awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. In the West Bank, an armored vehicle flying an Israeli flag fired tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd waiting near Ofer Prison. As drones buzzed overhead, the group scattered.

    The tear gas followed the circulation of a flier warning that anyone supporting what it called “terrorist organizations” risked arrest. Israel’s military did not respond to questions about the flier, which The Associated Press obtained on site.

    While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners raised hopes for ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.

    The ceasefire is also expected to be accompanied by a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, parts of which are experiencing famine.

    U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in the region, where he plans to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans with other leaders.

    The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 taken hostage.

    In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the dead were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

    The toll is expected to grow as bodies are pulled from rubble previously made inaccessible by fighting.

    The war has destroyed large swaths of Gaza and displaced about 90% of its some 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.

    “Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday.

    Living hostages being released first

    The hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.

    As the war dragged on, demonstrators accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of dragging his feet for political purposes, even as he accused Hamas of intransigence. Last week, under heavy international pressure and increasing isolation for Israel, the bitter enemies agreed to the ceasefire.

    With the hostages’ release, the sense of urgency around the war for many Israelis will be effectively over.

    It remains unclear when the remains of 28 dead hostages will be returned. An international task force will work to locate deceased hostages who are not returned within 72 hours, said Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing.

    Meanwhile, buses lined up in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Monday morning in anticipation of the release of prisoners.

    The exact timing has not been announced for the release of Palestinian prisoners. They include 250 people serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis, in addition to 1,700 seized from Gaza during the war and held without charge. They will be returned to the West Bank or Gaza or sent into exile.

    Trump is traveling to Israel and Egypt

    Trump arrived Monday in Israel, where the White House said he will meet with families of the hostages and speak at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Vice President JD Vance said Trump was likely to meet with newly freed hostages.

    “The war is over,” Trump told to reporters as he departed — even though his ceasefire deal leaves many unanswered questions about the future of Hamas and Gaza.

    Among the most thorny is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas disarm. Hamas refuses to do that and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.

    So far, the Israeli military has withdrawn from much of Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and the wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.

    The future governance of Gaza also remains unclear. Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern the territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.

    Later Monday, Trump will head to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will lead a summit with leaders from more than 20 countries on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.

    Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, according to a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash. The plan envisions an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to undergo a sweeping reform program that could take years.

    The plan also calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It said Israeli forces would leave areas as those forces deploy. About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire.

    The plan also mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state, another nonstarter for Netanyahu.

    ___

    Magdy reported from Cairo and Lidman from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Truro, Massachusetts; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.

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  • Hostages freed, prisoners released, as Trump hails ‘golden age’ in Mideast

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    REIM, Israel — Israelis and Palestinians cried, cheered and gave thanks Monday as Hamas militants released their last 20 living hostages in exchange for more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

    It was the first phase of a ceasefire deal put in place last month even as President Trump — the driving force behind the agreement — gave what amounted to a victory speech in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, before departing for a peace summit in Egypt.

    Greeted with a standing ovation before he said a word, Trump heralded the deal as ushering in “a golden age” for Israel and the Middle East.

    “After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” he said.

    Palestinians in the West Bank city of Ramallah celebrate the release of prisoners by Israel on Oct. 13, 2025.

    (Issam H.S. Alasmar / Anadolu / Getty Images)

    His words belied the many complications facing an agreement that remains far from a comprehensive road map that could definitively end a war that killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and pulverized much of the Gaza Strip, even as it scarred Israeli society with the deaths of 1,200 people and brought unprecedented international condemnation of the country’s leadership.

    The night before the scheduled morning handover, tens of thousands Israelis streamed into Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, as well as to the roadside near southern Israel’s Reim military base, where the hostages were to be brought after their release.

    A party atmosphere prevailed on the road to Reim, as Sikorsky Super Stallion helicopters landed in a dusty field to the cheers of a nearby crowd, which raised Israeli and American flags and swayed to a song whose lyrics promised, “I’m coming home, tell the world I’m coming home.”

    Passing cars honked in salute, with one passenger rolling down her window and shouting, “The kidnapped are returning!”

    “Since Thursday my smile has been stuck, my jaw hurts from it, after two years of not doing it at all,” said Sarit Kenny, 65, a resident of a kibbutz nearby who said she had attended a rally every week since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, to call for the hostages’ return.

    She pointed to the American flag in her hand, saying she wanted it to be an expression of her appreciation of Trump.

    A smiling woman with long dark hair, in a white top, holds a smiling young man's face with her hands

    Matan Zangauker is reunited with his mother at the initial reception point after his release by the militant group Hamas.

    (Israel Defense Forces / Associated Press)

    “He’s the one who actually did this. He did what our prime minister didn’t do,” she said.

    Jonathan Kaneh, 46, who owned a polymer factory in the kibbutz of Orim, saw in the release a more somber moment. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants on a truck shot at him as he was riding his bicycle; the bullet grazed his arm but he was otherwise unhurt. At the same time, the war precipitated by the attack had forced him to shutter his business.

    He had arrived early at the site to mark the start of the attack two years ago, which began at 6:29 a.m.

    “It was important to me to come here, to close this circle. A lot of people, their lives stopped in this place,” he said, his voice turning deep with emotion.

    For many others, the day represented a moment combining religion and the sense of history, with the hostages’ release falling on the religious holiday of Simchat Torah, just as their kidnapping had been on Simchat Torah two years earlier.

    “It’s my luck to be here now, and most of the people are feeling same, that we had to be here,” said 70-year-old Uzi Bar-On, as he sat on a lawn chair and made coffee on a portable stove, with Jimmy, his dog, by his side.

    People in dark clothes and one in a T-shirt bearing images of two men, hug one another

    At a gathering at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, people react in anticipation of the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

    (Oded Balilty / Associated Press)

    Bar-On said that the last two years had seen him consumed with thoughts of revenge against Hamas and the people of Gaza, but that the hostage release could help Israelis to move on.

    “First I want to see the hostages. When I see them with my own eyes, not through the press, then maybe I can start to think differently,” he said.

    When the convoy of vans and military vehicles bearing the first group passed by, the crowd erupted in a flurry of cheers.

    It seemed timed to coincide with the moment Air Force One was about to land at Ben Gurion International Airport, before Trump would be whisked away to Jerusalem to meet hostage families before his Knesset address.

    Aside from touting the achievements of his administration (and impugning former Presidents Obama and Biden), Trump gave a full-throated endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a deeply unpopular figure with many Israelis, who blame their leader for embroiling the country in the war in the first place and accuse him of prolonging it for his own political purposes.

    But Trump insisted that Netanyahu did “a great job,” and diving into Israel’s domestic affairs, urged the president to pardon Netanyahu of corruption charges he’s facing. Trump also heaped praise on envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner for their efforts in brokering the deal, while musing about the idea of Israel making peace with Iran.

    Later he flew to Egypt for a summit in Sharm el Sheikh, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi and a raft of Arab and Islamic leaders to discuss the next steps for Gaza.

    “We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us,” Trump said at the summit, which saw Sisi award Egypt’s highest civilian honor to Trump.

    Netanyahu did not attend, with his office saying that the timing conflicted with the Jewish holiday.

    A blond man, in dark suit and red tie, extends his palm while speaking at a lectern, with a blue-and-white flag behind him

    President Trump addresses the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem on Oct. 13, 2025.

    (Evelyn Hockstein / Associated Press)

    The Trump-brokered deal stipulates Hamas will release the bodies of 28 hostages who died in captivity, with each one returned in exchange for 15 bodies of Palestinians killed during Oct. 7.

    Four bodies were released Monday. In recent days, Hamas said it was facing difficulties retrieving corpses from the rubble of Gaza’s war-ravaged buildings.

    A few hours after the release of the second batch of hostages, buses carrying about 1,700 Gaza residents detained in Israel without charge over the last two years left for the Palestinian enclave, along with 250 prisoners serving life sentences for convictions in attacks on Israelis.

    Two busloads of 88 people were released in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where families assembled at the Ramallah Cultural Palace — a place normally reserved for performances — to greet relatives, some they hadn’t seen in decades.

    When the buses arrived, Palestinian security forces tried to maintain order but were soon overwhelmed by the crowd. The prisoners and detainees emerged with their heads shaved, looking gaunt and pale in the afternoon sun — a measure, many said, of the harsh treatment they received.

    Despite their joy at the release, few were willing to be interviewed, saying Israeli authorities had warned them to not celebrate or speak to the media under threat of rearrest.

    “When I saw all the people here, we forgot all of our pain. But our brothers detained inside are still suffering,” said one released prisoner who had spent 20 years in an Israeli jail. One hand held a cigarette, while the other carried a phone he was using to talk to his niece for the first time.

    “I’m tired, but thank God for everything,” said Yahya Nimr Ahmad Ibrahim, a Fatah member arrested in 2003 and sentenced to 23 years. Wrapped in a Palestinian black-and-white kaffiyeh, he looked frail as family members carried him on their shoulders in celebration.

    The list of Palestinian detainees to be released was a point of contention up to the very last minute, according to Palestinian rights groups, which count at least 100 additional prisoners with lifetime sentences who would not be released.

    The head of the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, Raed Abu Al-Hummus, said the commission had received hundreds of phone calls from people enraged that their loved ones weren’t being released.

    People make the peace sign as they peer out the window of a bus

    Palestinians rejoice over their release from Israeli prisons.

    (Ayman Nobani / DPA / Picture Alliance / AP Images)

    For others, the prisoner release was bittersweet: 154 of the 250 prisoners were to be exiled to Gaza, Egypt, Malaysia or Turkey, and with their family members subject to travel restrictions, it was unlikely they would see them anytime soon.

    Elsewhere in the crowd, bewilderment laced with anger when families who had been informed that their loved ones would be released discovered they weren’t on the buses after all.

    “We don’t know what happened. The Israeli army called me last night, told me my brother was coming here. They even came and smashed up our house so we wouldn’t celebrate. Then we heard he’s to be exiled, but no one knows where he is,” said Raed Imran, the brother of Mohammad Imran, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad member who was serving 13 life sentences.

    Beside him was his sister, Ibtisam, crying.

    “We prepared all his favorite foods, all of them,” she said, barely able to keep her voice steady from crying. “We’ve been working since two days for this moment. We even have the dishes in the car, ready for him when he came out.”

    Imran began to tear up as well.

    “We just don’t know. No one has told us anything,” he said.

    As the afternoon sun waned, the crowd began to thin out, save for a few families asking anyone who seemed in authority to give them information about their missing loved ones. But soon enough, they too walked away.

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    Nabih Bulos

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  • Did you know Disney World ticket prices started at $3.50?

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    Walt Disney World has been a Florida staple since 1971, but visiting the “Most Magical Place on Earth” has become increasingly costly over the decades.Over the past 50 years, Walt Disney World tickets have soared from $3.50 to over $200 on peak days. While Florida residents enjoy discounted passes, multi-day ticket deals and resort offers, out-of-state visitors face full pricing. Video above: Walt Disney World Fallidays Sweepstakes Here’s a look at how Disney World ticket prices have evolved and how Florida residents have enjoyed special perks along the way.1971 – The Magic BeginsTicket Price: $3.50 – $8When Walt Disney World opened its gates in Orlando, single-day tickets cost just $3.50 (about $27 in today’s dollars). Everyone paid the same with no resident discounts or promotions yet. Families flocked to experience the park’s rides, shows and attractions.1980s – Growth and AdventureTicket Price: $23.50 – $25Ticket prices climbed from $8 in 1980 to $23.50 by 1989. New rides and attractions made the price increases feel worth it, and Orlando was quickly becoming a must-visit vacation spot for families across the nation.1990s – Residents Get a PerkTicket Price: $35 – $225Tickets rose from $25 in 1990 to $35 by 1995. Florida residents began seeing special offers, including:Discounted annual passes for localsExample: In 1993, a Florida resident’s annual pass was priced at $190, while out-of-state guests paid $225 for the same pass.Resort package dealsOut-of-state visitors still paid full price, but locals could now enjoy more affordable ways to visit frequently.2000s – Tiered Pricing & ExpansionsTicket Prices: $41- $99From $41 in 2000 to $69 by 2009, ticket prices continued to rise. This decade introduced:Peak vs. off-peak pricingFlorida resident promotions like the Play 4-Day Pass, giving locals access to all four Disney parks for $99Flexible multi-day tickets and annual pass deals for residents2010s – Dream Passes & Seasonal DealsTicket Prices: $84 – $104Ticket prices climbed from $69 to $92, but Florida residents continued to benefit from perks such as:4-Day Dream Pass: $84 for Florida residents with optional Park Hopper for ~$26Annual pass discounts with early park entry and merchandise dealsRoom discounts at Disney resorts, often up to 25%Special seasonal ticket promotions unavailable to out-of-state visitorsEven though the Park Hopper option was available to all guests, Florida residents often had discounted rates during these promotions.2020s – Peak Prices & Modern MagicTicket Prices: Range from $109 to $189Prices vary based on what day and what park the ticket is being purchased for, and what the demand is. Florida residents can still access:Discounted annual passesMulti-day ticket deals like the 3-Day, 3-Park specialPark Hopper add-on available for Florida residents for $40, allowing access to multiple parks in a single dayResort package discountsMeanwhile, out-of-state guests pay full price, especially on peak-demand days.

    Walt Disney World has been a Florida staple since 1971, but visiting the “Most Magical Place on Earth” has become increasingly costly over the decades.

    Over the past 50 years, Walt Disney World tickets have soared from $3.50 to over $200 on peak days. While Florida residents enjoy discounted passes, multi-day ticket deals and resort offers, out-of-state visitors face full pricing.

    Video above: Walt Disney World Fallidays Sweepstakes

    Here’s a look at how Disney World ticket prices have evolved and how Florida residents have enjoyed special perks along the way.

    1971 – The Magic Begins

    Ticket Price: $3.50 – $8

    When Walt Disney World opened its gates in Orlando, single-day tickets cost just $3.50 (about $27 in today’s dollars). Everyone paid the same with no resident discounts or promotions yet. Families flocked to experience the park’s rides, shows and attractions.

    1980s – Growth and Adventure

    Ticket Price: $23.50 – $25

    Ticket prices climbed from $8 in 1980 to $23.50 by 1989. New rides and attractions made the price increases feel worth it, and Orlando was quickly becoming a must-visit vacation spot for families across the nation.

    1990s – Residents Get a Perk

    Ticket Price: $35 – $225

    Tickets rose from $25 in 1990 to $35 by 1995. Florida residents began seeing special offers, including:

    • Discounted annual passes for locals
      • Example: In 1993, a Florida resident’s annual pass was priced at $190, while out-of-state guests paid $225 for the same pass.
    • Resort package deals

    Out-of-state visitors still paid full price, but locals could now enjoy more affordable ways to visit frequently.

    2000s – Tiered Pricing & Expansions

    Ticket Prices: $41- $99

    From $41 in 2000 to $69 by 2009, ticket prices continued to rise. This decade introduced:

    • Peak vs. off-peak pricing
    • Florida resident promotions like the Play 4-Day Pass, giving locals access to all four Disney parks for $99
    • Flexible multi-day tickets and annual pass deals for residents

    2010s – Dream Passes & Seasonal Deals

    Ticket Prices: $84 – $104

    Ticket prices climbed from $69 to $92, but Florida residents continued to benefit from perks such as:

    • 4-Day Dream Pass: $84 for Florida residents with optional Park Hopper for ~$26
    • Annual pass discounts with early park entry and merchandise deals
    • Room discounts at Disney resorts, often up to 25%
    • Special seasonal ticket promotions unavailable to out-of-state visitors

    Even though the Park Hopper option was available to all guests, Florida residents often had discounted rates during these promotions.

    2020s – Peak Prices & Modern Magic

    Ticket Prices: Range from $109 to $189

    Prices vary based on what day and what park the ticket is being purchased for, and what the demand is.

    Florida residents can still access:

    • Discounted annual passes
    • Multi-day ticket deals like the 3-Day, 3-Park special
    • Park Hopper add-on available for Florida residents for $40, allowing access to multiple parks in a single day
    • Resort package discounts

    Meanwhile, out-of-state guests pay full price, especially on peak-demand days.

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  • ‘We’re chasing what’s left of life’: Gazans journey back to destruction

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    JABALIA, Gaza Strip — The trailer creaked under the weight of mattresses, blankets, tents, a gas cylinder, weathered plastic barrels, burlap sacks of clothes, plastic chairs, gardening tools, various kitchen utensils and a toy tricycle — the collective belongings of Mohammad Abu Warda and his family.

    Abu Warda, 34, tugged at the ropes securing the load, and hitched the trailer to his tractor. He glanced a moment at his mother, 60-year-old Bouthaina Warda, who was braiding his daughter’s hair, then turned to look at the coastal highway heading northward to Gaza City.

    It was time to go home.

    “The last time we took this highway, we were escaping death,” Abu Warda said, his hands straining against the rope as he tightened it once more.

    “Today, we’re chasing what’s left of life.”

    All around him others were embarking on a similar journey, stacking whatever they had salvaged of their belongings onto whatever transportation they could manage. Donkey carts and tractors jostled for space with pickups and larger transport trucks, the diesel fumes mixing with dust and the salty sea air.

    Every few hundred yards, more people would join on the Al-Rashid Highway from the side streets, adding to the slow-moving deluge of hundreds of thousands returning home to see what — if anything — remained of the lives they had in north Gaza.

    The homecoming arrives at a time of hope after two years of war. A breakthrough Israel-Hamas ceasefire continues to hold, with prospects for an enduring peace. President Trump was headed to Israel in time for Monday’s expected release of the last hostages held in Gaza, with Israel set to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and plans for a surge of aid into the famine-stricken territory.

    Abu Warda had endured displacement early in the war, when he and his family left their house in Jabalia, a few miles north of Gaza City, in November 2023; they returned to it 14 months later in January of this year, before Israel’s intensified assault on Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave last month forced them out again.

    This time, Abu Warda — whose uncles and cousins had braved the 16-mile trek back from central Gaza’s Khan Yunis to Jabalia the day before — knew it would be a bitter homecoming.

    Mohammad Abu Warda sits amid the rubble in Jabalia, which his family returned to on Sunday.

    (Bilal Shbeir / For The Times)

    “Everything is gone. The house is destroyed,” he said.

    Sitting in the trailer, Bouthaina spoke, her voice small and somber.

    “People keep saying we’re going home. But home isn’t there anymore,” she said. “We’re just going to see what’s left. A pile of rubble.”

    Many of 2.1 million people living in the Gaza Strip (which at some 140 square miles is less than a third the area of Los Angeles) face similar circumstances, with nearly the entire population being forced to move over the last two years and more than 90% of homes damaged, according to expert estimates.

    Some parts of the enclave are suffering from famine as a result of a months-long Israeli blockade, say the U.N. and other aid groups, which also have accused Israel of genocide. Israel denies the charge and says it acted to destroy Hamas.

    Meanwhile, the enclave’s infrastructure, whether in healthcare, water or sanitation, has been devastated; especially in Gaza City, according to Asem Al-Nabih, spokesman for the Gaza City municipality.

    “I can’t explain to you the massive amount of damage we’re seeing,” he said.

    He added that the Israeli military had deployed booby-trapped armored assault vehicles, which inflicted damage not only to structures above ground but also to water wells, underground piping and sewage pumps, not to mention roadways.

    “Our priority now is to get water, and we’ve started clearing the main roads so people can get to what’s left of their homes,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ve lost most of our heavy and medium equipment over the last two years, so we can’t do much to relieve people’s suffering.”

    The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people — two-thirds of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities — and kidnapping about 250 others.

    In retaliation, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has killed more than 67,000 people, over 3% of the enclave’s population, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Though it does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its tally, its figures are seen as reliable and have been used by the U.N. and the Israeli military.

    Abu Warda gunned the tractor’s engine, pushing it faster as he passed the shell of a seaside cafe where his family once stopped for tea and grilled chicken on weekend sojourns. Lining the side of the road were abandoned sandals, plastic water bottles hardened by the sun, and broken toys — remnants of the exodus in months gone by.

    With every mile the family came closer to Jabalia, the landscape shifted, with fewer tents, more ruins and more dust lining people’s faces. Entire apartment blocks leaned into each other, like carelessly toppled dominoes.

    Finally, six hours later, Abu Warda parked the tractor before a heap of masonry and distressed rebar in Jabalia: home.

    “I remember my window was there,” Abu Warda said, pointing to a hollow space between fallen slabs of concrete.

    A trailer holds the possesions of Mohammad Abu Warda's family.

    A trailer holds the possessions of Mohammad Abu Warda’s family, which fled northern Gaza months ago to escape attacks by the Israeli military.

    (Bilal Shbeir / For The Times.)

    A school notebook, dusty and dog-eared, peeked from the rubble. He fished it out and brushed off the cover. His son’s name was still visible, written in red marker.

    Abu Warda’s sister, 25-year-old Amal Warda, bent to the ground and grabbed a handful of gray dust.

    “This is what we came back for,” she said quietly. “To touch the truth with our own hands.”

    As the afternoon wore on, the family used rope scavenged from a neighbor’s courtyard to secure a tarp between two taller chunks of concrete. Abu Warda found an old metal kettle and lighted a small fire with scraps of wood, then brewed tea he poured into dented cups and passed around.

    A few neighbors and cousins emerged from similarly destroyed ruins, exchanging greetings that sounded both joyous and fragile. Someone offered water. Another shared news of which wells in the area were still functioning, along with information about U.S. assistance.

    The children started playing, scampering up piles of debris. Bisan, Abu Warda’s 12-year-old niece, grabbed a stick and traced a drawing of a house with four windows and a tree. She added her family standing outside, with smiles on their faces. When the wind blew it away, she drew it again.

    “Gaza still breathes through its people,” Amal said. “As long as people are back here, life will slowly get back too.”

    By sunset, the sea breeze turned cool. The family stretched out the blankets they had brought with them and slept under the tarp. Abu Warda looked up at the sky.

    “I’m not sure what tomorrow is going to bring,” he said.

    “But I do know this: Being here, even if it’s in ruins, is better than waiting for news in a tent.”

    Special correspondent Shbeir reported from Jabalia and Times staff writer Bulos from Jerusalem.

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    Bilal Shbeir, Nabih Bulos

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  • Mom’s agony as 5 year old regresses back to toddler after rare diagnosis

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    Holding back tears, Christine Ulrich recalls how her daughter Veda once loved dancing, drawing and babbling. Now, she can no longer speak or even hold a crayon.

    Three years ago, Veda was diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome, a rare and devastating neurodegenerative condition often referred to as ‘childhood dementia.’

    The disease gradually takes away the skills children have learned—leading to seizures, movement difficulties and profound health challenges over time. Tragically, most children with the condition face a premature death.

    “She has changed significantly since diagnosis,” Ulrich, 37, told Newsweek. “It’s hard to watch how quickly she has deteriorated.”

    Losing Her Words

    As a toddler, Veda would scribble all day while proudly reciting the names of her family members. Now, she is frustrated by her inability to communicate.

    Ulrich, an ultrasound technician from Palm Coast, Florida, said her daughter is “regressing”. Mentally, she is now just around one year old.

    “Veda used to ask questions like ‘what is that?’ and ‘what are we doing?’” Ulrich said. “But she can’t get the words out anymore; she tries to mimic sounds.”

    These communication struggles have left Veda unhappy and uncomfortable much of the time. “She will be fine watching TV and then suddenly cry for hours,” Ulrich explained.

    Understanding Sanfilippo Syndrome

    Sanfilippo syndrome is one of the mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) disorders, caused by enzyme deficiencies that lead to a buildup of glycosaminoglycan—a type of long sugar molecule—in the body.

    This accumulation affects both physical and neurological health.

    A key neurological feature of the syndrome is challenging behavior—including hyperactivity, attention difficulties and severe frustration.

    Early Warning Signs

    Up until 14 months old, Veda was developing like any other baby. She had learned to walk before her first birthday and was starting to talk.

    But then her parents noticed that she was drinking excessively, was frequently sick with respiratory and ear infections, and had a growing appetite. Also, Ulrich said, “she’d drink a gallon of water a day. We were worried she was diabetic.”

    A viral TikTok video shared to @valor_of_veda documents their journey shows how Veda’s parents were initially dismissed because “she didn’t look diabetic.”

    After multiple tests ruled out diabetes and other conditions, doctors were left without answers.

    “During this time, her talking dwindled down,” Ulrich recalled. “She went from trying to talk to stopping. We thought she might have autism and started speech therapy.”

    A Devastating Diagnosis

    On June 2, 2022, Ulrich came across a video of a little girl who looked just like Veda. That moment led to their discovery of Sanfilippo syndrome.

    According to the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, children with this disease often share distinct facial features—including a prominent forehead, thick eyebrows that may meet over time and full lips with a larger-than-average nose.

    “My chest was tight and I was so upset when looking at the girl,” she recalled. “I showed my husband Jericho, 35, and he went pale.”

    The family went to their pediatrician and were referred for genetic testing. Three months later, she was diagnosed with the condition that affects 1 in 70,000 live births.

    No Cure Yet

    Since the diagnosis, the Ulrich family has been working tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for a clinical trial. There is currently no approved treatment.

    In June 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response Letter for UX111, a gene therapy for Sanfilippo syndrome type A, asking Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. to address manufacturing and facility issues—delaying potential approval until 2026.

    Facing the Future

    “I feel scared, sad and angry about the future,” Ulrich said through tears. “I am sad because I know my child will pass away very young, scared that I’m not going to be able to keep her comfortable.

    “I am angry that she has to go through this. No child deserves to have such a cruel disease; she is a sweet little kid.

    “I am terrified that I’m not going to be able to save her. It’s hard to take her to therapy to keep her skills, and no matter how hard she works, one day all the skills she has fought to keep—she will lose.”

    Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about men’s reproductive health? Let us know via health@newsweek.com.

    Reference

    Escolar, M. L., Jones, S. A., Shapiro, E. G., Horovitz, D. D. G., Lampe, C., & Amartino, H. (2017). Practical management of behavioral problems in mucopolysaccharidoses disorders. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism, 122, 35–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2017.09.010

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  • Asking Eric: Good Samaritan gets hefty reward for first aid

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    Dear Eric: I am the mother of a wild child. The other day, she ran into our house and asked for a Band-Aid because her friend scraped his knee. The boy had what I would describe as “the most gnarly gash” I’ve seen since I left the military.

    The cut missed major blood vessels, but at least partially severed a tendon. We sent a messenger to his mom, treated him for shock and covered the wound, but didn’t really do anything medical. When mom showed up, I did the magic trick of distracting the boy while showing mom how bad it was. I offered to watch her other kids until she could get a family member or sitter they knew. Turns out they had grandma over, so I wasn’t needed.

    The next day, we found a thank you note and a $100 gift card in our mailbox. I don’t think I did anything worthy of that. I think I did the bare minimum required of a human being and did not expect anything from it.

    My question is, when my own daredevil scrapes her knee this way, is there a reference guide on how to express gratitude to the bystander or first responder? Does the dollar amount of the gift card change depending on the severity of the injury?

    — Mom of a Wild Child

    Dear Mom: Try as I might, I haven’t found a price list for “treatment of grievous bloody injuries” outside of an insurance company’s website. You mention your service in the military, and I wonder if you’re downplaying the comprehensiveness of the care you gave to your daughter’s friend. The gift card may be a reflection both of the mom’s appreciation and also an expression of how impressed she was by your levelheadedness and competence. Neither is a guarantee. Her gift is a kind gesture and not required.

    After a quite scary emergency department visit for a food allergy reaction, I sent an Edible Arrangement to convey my thanks, but that reflected my emotions (“thanks for snatching me back from the jaws of death; food is weird, right?”), rather than a repayment of a debt. It really is the thought that counts, so a card with a genuine note can be just as meaningful should your daughter need the aid of a bystander or EMT.

    Also, if you feel uncomfortable about the amount of the gift card, consider using it to treat your daughter, her friend, and maybe the friend’s mom to a fun lunch or day at an activity center (maybe one of those pad-covered ones where they’re less likely to get hurt).

    Dear Eric: My 15-year-old grandson moved in with me about seven months ago. We are fine together but his mom refuses to allow him to go to a “brick and mortar” school. He has Marfan Syndrome and must be careful of his heart. But he was removed from public school and really wants to be a more normal kid.

    My daughter apparently gets her medical for her whole family covered under my grandson. She wrote to him saying if he goes to a school here where I live then he’d have to use my address and he’d be responsible for her dying, her dad going mental and his older sister hemorrhaging all because they’d lose their medical if he lived with me.

    My daughter says my grandson and I are both selfish to want his “social life” over his family’s health.

    Might I add that there are four adults in the house and when my grandson was there, he slept in a closet! Is there any option besides turning her in to CPS?

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    R. Eric Thomas

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  • No Faces, No Farts, No Fun: The Strangest House Rules We Somehow Survived

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    Every family has at least one rule that made zero sense — something so weird it still lives rent-free in your head like a landlord from the Twilight Zone.

    Maybe it was meant to “build character.” Maybe it was just Mom and Dad doing their best in a world without YouTube parenting tutorials. Either way, people online started comparing their most bizarre childhood house rules, and it’s like opening a time capsule full of lactose intolerance, control issues, and fear of thunderstorms.

    Let’s unpack the highlights before someone makes us drink a glass of milk.

    1. The Thunderstorm Blackout Policy

    “No turning on the lights during thunderstorms.”

    Apparently, the lightning gods were tracking your kitchen light switch like NORAD.
    My guess? Someone’s grandma once told them flipping a switch during a storm summoned Zeus. The rest of us just sat in the dark wondering if the TV static was coming for us next.

    2. The No-Faces Dress Code

    “No wearing clothing with ‘faces’ on them . . . no Mickey Mouse, no kitty cats, nothing alive. Only objects. Soccer balls, pumpkins, sure. But no faces.”

    Imagine explaining that one to your friends: “Sorry, can’t wear Mickey today, Mom says he’s too sentient.”
    And the loopholes! A jack-o’-lantern has a face and it’s a pumpkin. That’s like theological debate territory for 8-year-olds.

    3. The Great Milk Conspiracy

    “We had to drink a huge glass of milk every morning because it would make us grow tall. But I was lactose intolerant.”

    So instead of growing tall, you just grew… gassy.
    This was the era when milk ads told us bones were made of calcium and lies. “Got Milk?” Yeah, and a stomachache to go with it.

    4. The Family Cup of Doom

    “We had one drink cup by the sink. Everyone used it. It went in the dishwasher every two days.”

    So basically, a bacteria-sharing program before Venmo.
    That cup saw more DNA exchange than a dating app. Somewhere, a germ colony still tells its grandkids stories about the Great Kitchen Cup of ’94.

    5. The Wet Feet Prohibition

    “No stepping on the bathmat with wet feet.”

    Right, because the entire point of a bathmat — to absorb water — was lost on this household.
    Nothing like tiptoeing across tile like a cat burglar just to avoid breaking the sacred terry-cloth covenant.

    6. Curtain Duty at Dawn

    “The curtains had to be opened first thing in the morning so the neighbors wouldn’t think we slept in.”

    There it is — the Midwest Olympic event known as “performative productivity.”
    Heaven forbid Mrs. Jenkins across the street thinks you woke up at 7:15. Open those blinds and show the world your Protestant work ethic!

    7. The Towel Modesty Mandate

    “We weren’t allowed to walk from the bathroom to our bedrooms after a shower in just a towel. Even if no one else was there.”

    This one screams family that got too into modesty sermons.
    Somewhere, there’s a teenage version of you freezing in the hallway, clutching a washcloth, whispering “why can’t I just be clean and dry?”

    8. The F-Word Ban (That’s Fart)

    “We had to leave the room to fart. And ‘fart’ was a curse word.”

    You know a household’s strict when bodily functions have exile protocols.
    Imagine silently walking out mid-Monopoly game, shamefully releasing a “curse” in the hallway, then returning like nothing happened. That’s Catholic guilt with acoustics.

    9. The Dysfunctional Family Denial Rule

    “I wasn’t allowed to watch anything that depicted a dysfunctional family.”

    So… every show ever?
    Guess that explains why some of us thought Full House was a documentary. Nothing says “we’re fine” like banning the Brady Bunch for being too real.

    10. The Plastic Bag Economy

    “I had to bring home the plastic sandwich bags from my lunch to be reused. They were washed and dried overnight.”

    Classic 1980s depression-era energy — the kind that thought plastic lasted forever (and unfortunately, they were right).
    Today it’s eco-friendly. Back then it was just one slippery Ziploc short of madness.

    11. The Friendship Ledger

    “I wasn’t allowed to invite a friend over a second time until THEY invited me to their house. My mom kept track.”

    Ah yes, the early beta version of social networking — complete with reciprocity metrics.
    Your mom basically invented the Facebook algorithm before Zuckerberg. “You may not host Jake again. He hasn’t engaged with your content.”

    So Why Did They Do This?

    Part superstition, part control, part “we didn’t know better.”
    Our parents were raising kids in a world without Google, and with way too much Tupperware. They just made rules that sounded reasonable at the time — like “don’t stand in lightning” or “recycle sandwich bags” — and overcorrected from there.

    But here’s the real twist: those bizarre rules shaped us. They made us question authority, develop sarcasm as a defense mechanism, and occasionally say things like, “You’re not barefoot before Easter, are you crazy?”

    The Takeaway

    Every generation swears they’ll be the “cool” parents — until their kid’s TikTok trend involves eating glue or dancing at a gas station. Then suddenly, you’re the one shouting, “No lights during thunderstorms!”

    So go ahead and laugh at these rules. Then realize:
    Somewhere out there, your kid is already screenshotting your weirdest one for Reddit in 2045.

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    Jim O’Brien

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  • Latino members of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seek aid as ICE raids escalate

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    On a recent Sunday morning in Provo, Utah, a small congregation of about two dozen people gathered in a church hall for ward services. At the front of the room stood the bishop, who blessed the bread and water in Spanish before passing the trays around for the congregation. The melodic sounds of the piano reverberated across the room as members sang “Welcome Home” — a new hymn for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Ward services like this have brought a consistent comfort and sense of community for Izzy, who came to Provo to study at Brigham Young University a few years ago. But lately, the increased possibility of ICE raids across the country has made him nervous.

    “I just couldn’t focus. Just instant anxiety and fear. I worried about my family, and how I was gonna get through this year or the next four or three,” Izzy said. The prospect of an ICE recruitment fair nearby also disturbed him.

    When he was just a toddler, Izzy and his parents came from Venezuela to the United States in search of a better life. Then one Christmas, Mormon missionaries brought gifts to their home in West Valley. He and his family were sealed in Utah. He was accepted into the DACA program, Deferred Action for Child Arrivals, years ago.

    For many Latino members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is an ambivalent sense of the Church’s stance on immigrants. There is discontent about how explicit the Church has been in condemning ongoing ICE raids, compared to Catholic leaders for example, while others have focused on providing individual help to those in need.

    The church has previously issued statements regarding immigration in 2011 and 2018 about the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. But its most recent statement published in January listed three points in order. While it reads similarly to past statements on loving thy neighbor and concern about keeping families together, the first point this time notably focused on “obeying the law.”

    When The Times reached out to ask about why the new statement was numbered and in this order, the Church declined to comment.

    The Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah.

    (Isaac Hale / For The Times)

    Dr. David-James Gonzales, a ward leader and history professor at BYU who studies Latino civil rights and migration, notes that the political climate has shifted on immigration in 2025.

    “This issue is one of the most polarizing issues nationally and it has split the Church,” he said, adding that it’s fair to question the way the statement is written. “If I’m analyzing it as a historian, it’s speaking to this moment that the Church needs to make clear to this administration that it’s not a sanctuary church.”

    The Church does not release publicly any demographic data, but according to a 2009 Pew Research Center report, 86% of the Church’s membership is white. Latinos are some of the fastest growing members worldwide, thanks to missionary work in countries like Mexico, Brazil and Peru.

    Yet despite the growth in Spanish-speaking wards and a more diverse Mormon community, many interviewed for this story still feel they face challenges of racism and belonging.

    This January, Brigham Young University shut down its “Dreamers” resource hub for undocumented students, after facing backlash from state leaders who complained that their tithings — or 10% obligated donations to the Church — were being used for illegal immigrants. Nori Gomez, the founding member of the Dreamer resource center, said the program’s offices started receiving threatening phone calls. The university eventually removed the resource page.

    “It was the highlight of my BYU experience,” she said. “But with how much universities are being attacked right now, I don’t agree with it, but I see why.”

    Students like Izzy had found a sense of community among other DACA recipients through these online resources. Shutting the center down added another chilling effect for church members.

    For former LDS leaders like Dr. Ignacio Garcia, a retired Latino studies professor and former bishop at a local Spanish-speaking ward, the Church’s silence has been disappointing.

    “The Church’s struggle has a lot to do with some of its members, some of its very conservative white members,” Garcia said. “[These congregants] will love you as an individual member in your ward, but then go out and condemn all immigrants.”

    In July, following hours of public comment from more than 100 community members opposing ICE’s presence in Utah, the Utah County Commission voted unanimously to enter a cooperative agreement with ICE to share data and work on a joint task force with local police. The county sheriff argued that a collaboration would allow more leeway for local officials to inject “Utah County values” into enforcement and public safety rather than allowing complete federal oversight.

    Evelyn R. has worked as a trainer in Provo for young Mormons who are about to embark on their 18 to 24-month missions domestically and abroad. As a DACA recipient herself who previously served a Spanish-speaking mission in Georgia, she has overheard mixed feelings from attendees at the center about how undocumented people can even be baptized.

    “[One girl said] you’re not really going to get anywhere with these people because they can’t get baptized. Because in order to be a member of the Church, you need to be abiding by the laws of the land, which is Article 12 of the faith,” Evelyn said.

    Article 12 refers to a revelation written by Joseph Smith, stating, “we believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” The article has guided members to be good citizens in their communities.

    Evelyn said she had to ask her mission president if this was true. He reassured her that being undocumented did not gatekeep someone from belonging. It’s a stance that the First Presidency, the Church’s highest officials, also affirmed, saying that being undocumented should not itself prevent “an otherwise worthy Church member” from entering the temple or being ordained to priesthood, and calling upon congregation members to avoid being judgmental. As a convert to the Church and someone who comes from a diverse background, she said mixed responses like this were really hard to hear.

    “God doesn’t care about our status or who we are, where we came from in order to be a member of the Church,” she said. Some days, she feels that she can identify as a member of the Church, but not necessarily as part of larger “Mormon culture” — one that might be predominantly white and more conservative on politics in Utah.

    “We’re teaching principles and the doctrine of Christ,” she said. “I don’t think we’re necessarily learning how to apply those things.”

    People pass by portraits of the previous church's First Presidency in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.

    People pass portraits of previous members of the First Presidency before the 195th Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 4.

    (Isaac Hale / Associated Press)

    Luna Alvarez-Sproul, 25, works as a school teacher in Draper, Utah, where she often translates documents into Spanish for parents. She spent 18 months serving a Spanish-speaking mission in Salmon, Idaho, where many ranch hands were seasonal employees from Latin America.

    “As a missionary, we didn’t have to receive special permission from somebody in order to baptize an undocumented individual,” she recalled. “But there [are] so many members of our church that don’t believe that they should be here with their families, which I feel is contradictory in and of itself.”

    When guidance can vary so much, some church leaders have taken a more locally-focused ward approach — such as delivering food aid to members, helping out with rent or even sharing personal contacts with immigration lawyers. But addressing topics like the ICE raids during a service is likely taboo.

    “Leaders are trained and asked to be very careful about how they address it. And I think that puts them in a really hard situation, especially when they have members of their congregation that are affected by this,” Izzy said.

    The frustration may also have to do with reconciling religious principles with the views that are held by many people in the Church.

    Other members disagree about an institution-wide response. Julia, who asked to use a pseudonym due to her undocumented status, has seen firsthand the ways that individual actions have been kind to her.

    “I don’t think the Mormon Church should be responsible for us. The gospel teaches us to be independent,” she said.

    Utah also has infrastructure for many undocumented people to succeed in their daily life, she noted; it was the first state in 2005 to implement the “driver’s privilege card,” a driver’s license specifically for those who were undocumented, allowing them to commute to work and obtain insurance.

    People wear "We Are Charlie" shirts at a vigil for political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 12 in Provo, Utah.

    People wear “We Are Charlie” shirts at a vigil for political activist Charlie Kirk on Sept. 12 in Provo, Utah.

    (Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images)

    Just a few miles away in Orem, conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University during a debate less than a week before I conducted these interviews. Hundreds of students and local community members attended vigils, laying bouquets of fresh flowers and American flags alongside crosses and the Book of Mormon on university lawns. “If you want unity, say his name UV,” one poster said. Others were adorned with Bible verses as the air echoed with different Mormon hymns.

    The LDS Church released a statement condemning the violence and lawless behavior.

    Isa Benjamin Garcia spent some time reflecting on the week’s tragic events after the Sunday ward service. As a daughter of a Mexican immigrant, she became more worried when President Trump rescinded a Biden-era policy that excluded churches and schools from immigration raids.

    “There’s a lot of rhetoric around violence, but it’s not acknowledged all the other violence that has been and is,” she said, referring to ICE raids, including an incident where a day laborer died after running away from ICE in California.

    Other members echoed this sentiment. “Something I’ve been wrestling with over the last few months is why the Church doesn’t say, ‘This is wrong.’ Like this isn’t what Christ would have us do,” said Benjamin Garcia.

    People visit a memorial honoring Charlie Kirk at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 11.

    People visit a memorial honoring Charlie Kirk at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 11.

    (Laura Seitz / Associated Press)

    In August, BYU’s Office of Belonging launched an immigration-focused eight-week course to help people gain a “basic understanding of complex immigration policies.” The goal is to equip more nonprofit workers to become partially accredited to represent clients in front of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

    Gonzales, the ward leader and professor at BYU, believes this step speaks volumes about the Church’s efforts, despite challenges earlier this year with the takedown of its Dreamer center.

    “My heart was warmed seeing that,” he said. “BYU is a part of the Church and is a university that stands to help promote the Church’s ecclesiastical mission. I think that’s a form of messaging through one of its institutions.”

    Ultimately, when facing these hurdles and different interpretations of what the Book of Mormon or the Church says, members focus on their relationship to the gospel.

    “We also believe that we are the Church, and we believe that it is our responsibility to make it better. And that is what God is asking of us, and that’s what Christ is asking of us,” Benjamin Garcia said. She then paused.

    “Despite feelings of frustration or questions, what keeps a lot of us here, despite any of that, is that we have a conviction.”

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    Helen Li

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  • Town of Zebulon brings back annual Christmas Parade

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    After a brief two-year break, Zebulon will be bringing back its annual Christmas parade this year. 

    The town announced that the parade will be held Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. in downtown.

    In 2023, Zebulon opted to replace its annual parade with a stationary event titled “Deck the Hall-Z.”  The decision was based on a bill at the legislature that would change age requirements, safety inspections and license verifications for floats. 

    The move came in the wake of the tragic death of Hailey Brooks in 2022, when she was struck by a truck during the Raleigh Christmas Parade in 2022. 

    Known as the Shine Like Hailey Parade Safety Act, the bill did not pass but sparked new protocols for the Raleigh Christmas Parade.

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  • Asking Eric: Girlfriend loves whiskey and other men

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    Dear Eric: I’m a 64-year-old male and I have a 59-year-old girlfriend of a couple years. My perception is that my girlfriend is constantly seeking attention from other men. For instance, we were out on an ATV ride with another couple and a third man. Our ride brought us through many miles of back country. We stopped at a bar/restaurant to use the facilities.

    My girlfriend goes into the bar, and she’s in there for a while. I stayed outside and talked with the other guys we were with. She finally comes out and admits that she was talking to a couple of guys and had a shot of whiskey “to check market prices.” Seriously? I’m supposed to believe that she couldn’t have just asked the price?

    Later in the day, we stopped, just the two of us, at another bar/restaurant and had something to eat. After I settled the check, I decided to use the restroom. I leave the restroom, and she is nowhere to be seen, so I go outside and interrupt a conversation between her and some random guy on the deck by himself drinking. There was an immediate awkward pause on the guy’s part, and she blurts out “That’s his bike.” My tastes run to Harleys. which I have a couple of, and his bike was just another cheaper imitation race bike.

    Then on the way home she tells me how her niece has been trying to set up a girls’ night, including her at a local bar, kind of letting me know, presumably so she can say “I told you…” Clearly, I have a problem with this but I’m trying to keep an open mind. You know what they say: intimacy doesn’t begin in the bedroom. So, I know what I think I should do but I’m looking for an outsider’s perspective.

    — Being Taken for a Ride

    Dear Ride: Look, there may be something else going on here that I’m not seeing, but I think the message you need to take away from this gut check is not that your girlfriend is necessarily doing something inappropriate but that you’re not feeling secure about the relationship. This isn’t a personal failing; you’re allowed to feel the way you feel. But the response may be a different one than you’re thinking of.

    While you can end things, as you seem to be suggesting, consider first talking to her at a neutral time about the state of your relationship and what you think it might be lacking. Try to use “I” statements, like “I would like to be closer” or “I don’t feel like we’ve been in sync recently.” Then try to lay out what happened and how you felt about it without accusations. “You were talking to guys and ‘checking the market price’ of the whiskey, and that was confusing to me.” Ask her if she can see where you’re coming from and why it might make you feel less uncertain. But also listen to her response and see if you can see where she’s coming from.

    You don’t have to be OK with how things are going, but from the instances you’ve described, it may be less that she’s interested in other men and more that she’s interested in other drinks.

    Dear Eric: I just had my 93rd birthday, so have been on Medicare for some years. But I recently ran across something different. My newest doctor — a podiatrist — told me first that she would give me only token care since she got only a token payment. Then a second time she said I could pay her the difference and get full treatment. Is this right morally and legally?

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    R. Eric Thomas

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  • Family waits, worries after SoCal activist with Gaza flotilla is sent to Israeli prison

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    Last week, David Adler posted what he said would be his final communication from aboard a boat sailing toward Gaza carrying medical supplies, food and other aid.

    The Southern Californian wrote that the previous night several Israeli naval ships had “menaced” the convoy of some 40 boats.

    “They attacked our vessels, intimidated our crew, and disabled our communications,” he said in the Oct. 1 post.

    Soon after, his regular messages to his parents, who live in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Encino, and to his older sister and brother stopped.

    The 33-year-old co-founder of left-wing political organization Progressive International was among more than 450 peace activists, medical workers and other volunteers on the convoy known as the Gaza Sumud Flotilla who were detained late last week after Israeli naval forces intercepted the boats in international waters.

    His family said they had not been able to reach him since Oct. 1, but learned about a day later that he had been taken to Ashdod, a major cargo port in Israel, and then transferred to Ketziot prison in the Negev Desert.

    “I haven’t been able to talk to him, I don’t know what kind of shape he’s in, and that makes me really scared,” said Ruth Kremen, Adler’s mother.

    A group of California Democrats urged the State Department in a letter Monday to facilitate the release of several Californians and other detained U.S. citizens.

    “The U.S. has an obligation to protect its citizens abroad and must act immediately,” they said in the letter, which was signed by 24 congressional representatives and other officials and sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We call on you to work for [their] immediate and safe release, including arranging the logistics of a plane to ensure their speedy recovery.”

    In recent days, hundreds of flotilla activists who were detained, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were deported from Israel and flown to Athens. But only a few American participants have been released, with 21 remaining in Israeli custody as of Monday, according to the letter.

    Besides Adler, those detained included three other Californians: internet celebrity Tommy Marcus, who is based in the Los Angeles area; Geraldine Ramirez, from Cathedral City in the Coachella Valley; and Logan Hollarsmith, of San Francisco.

    California Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont), who was among the letter’s signatories, told The Times that he had heard that Americans would be released in the next day or so. But without clear arrangements from the U.S. State Department, they might be transported by land to neighboring Jordan, even as other countries have arranged for flights to bring their citizens home, he said.

    “What I have heard from families is frustration,” Khanna said. “This is a priority for the California delegation — to make sure our constituents are returned safely. And we are putting pressure on Israel to do that.”

    The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment from The Times but said in statements to other news outlets that it takes its “commitment to assist U.S. citizens seriously and [is] monitoring the situation.”

    “The flotilla is a deliberate and unnecessary provocation. We are currently focused on realizing President Trump’s plan to end the war, which has been universally welcomed as a historic opportunity for a lasting peace,” the State Department has said.

    The core vessels in the Gaza Sumud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona, Spain, more than a month ago with volunteers from dozens of countries to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

    Israel’s two-year-long siege on the strip of land has killed more than 60,000 people, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel’s bombing campaign and its months-long blockade have triggered famine in Gaza , authorities say, and garnered accusations from a U.N. commission of inquiry and international legal bodies that the U.S. ally is carrying out genocide. Israel has rejected the claim as “distorted and false,” and contends the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked Israel’s war in Gaza was itself a genocidal act. About 1,200 people were killed in that attack and 251 were taken hostage.

    Although Adler’s family was supportive of his cause, his mother and sister said they had tried to dissuade him from joining the flotilla, fearing for his safety — knowing that in an Israeli raid of a flotilla in 2010, 10 activists were killed, including a Turkish American, and dozens of others were injured.

    “Both of us trusted him to do what he thought was right, and are very proud of him for what he did, but the anxiety level has been very high, absolutely,” Adler’s father, Paul, said.

    Adler, who is Jewish, wrote in a piece for the Nation that his grandfather joined the Parisian resistance against the Nazis, and that he draws from his heritage in his rationale for joining the flotilla.

    “I joined this flotilla just like any other delegate — to defend humanity, before it is too late. But on Yom Kippur, I am reminded that I am also here because my Jewish heritage demands it,” Adler wrote.

    Adler’s sister Laura, who lives in Connecticut, said there were 24 hours when the family didn’t know his fate.

    “It sounds silly to say you’re relieved to find out that your brother is in a prison, but I was relieved to learn at least that he was physically safe,” she said. “I just don’t understand why our country, which is Israel’s biggest supporter, can’t be more assertive in protecting its citizens abroad.”

    Family members said that, because Adler acquired nationality in France and Australia through his father, they received some information about his condition from reports compiled by representatives in those countries. By contrast, details from the U.S. government have been lacking, the family said.

    Another Southern Californian is among those on a second convoy of about 10 boats that set sail last week.

    L.A.-based independent journalist and human rights researcher Emily Wilder is on board to document the flotilla effort for news outlet Jewish Currents. She said that “as a passenger on a ship in the same trajectory toward Gaza… toward a possible capture by Israeli forces,” she was “really concerned about the people that have been taken and are currently in Israeli custody.”

    “But of course, a mission like this is inherently risky,” Wilder said.

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    Suhauna Hussain

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  • Man fears family ‘at risk’ over Afghan data breach

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    An Afghan man who worked with British forces for nearly a decade has said he fears family members still in Afghanistan are at “very high risk” after a major data breach.

    It emerged in July that personal details of about 19,000 people who had asked to come to the UK to flee the Taliban were accidentally leaked in 2022.

    Ahmad, not his real name, who came to West Yorkshire with his wife and children in 2021, said he understood the Taliban had “all the information” on family members who had remained in Afghanistan.

    In a statement, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said a review had concluded that being named in the leak was “highly unlikely” to mean someone was more likely to be targeted.

    Ahmad said before the summer of 2021, when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan again, he had worked with the British military for almost 10 years.

    “No one thought the past regime would take over. We thought we had a bright future and there was lots of investment,” he explained.

    As the country fell to the Taliban, Ahmad said he received an email which told him he could go to Kabul Airport where, along with his wife and children, he would be airlifted to the UK.

    He said that once in the airport, things were calm: “No scare, no fear, because there was no Taliban.”

    Gagging order

    Ahmad’s mother, father and members of his extended family had accompanied him and his wife and children as they fled, but they were then separated due to a blast at the airport and Ahmad and his immediate family eventually had to leave without them.

    Ahmad said that once he was safely in West Yorkshire, he had applied for his extended family to join him, via what is known as the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, believing their lives were at risk due to his work for British forces.

    His fears for their safety then grew earlier this year when the media were first allowed to report details of the MoD data breach which had happened in February 2022.

    Details of the leak, the response and the number of Afghans granted the right to live in the UK as a result only came to light in July after a High Court judge ruled that a gagging order should be lifted.

    It emerged that the leak had contained the names, contact details and some family information of 19,000 people potentially at risk of harm from the Taliban.

    The leak had only come to light in August 2023, when the names of nine people who had applied to move to the UK appeared on Facebook.

    Defence Secretary John Healey made a statement to the House of Commons about the data breach in July 2025 [House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire]

    Ahmad said while he, his wife and children had built a new life in West Yorkshire, the picture was very different for those who had worked with the British forces and who remained in Afghanistan – and even more so for their families.

    He said their “futures went to zero within a week when the Taliban took over”.

    Ahmad said that until his extended family could join him in the UK, he feared for their safety in Afghanistan – especially following news of the data leak.

    He said one of his brothers-in-law had been arrested and killed by the Taliban, while another was tortured to the point of “insanity”.

    “I don’t know if it is because of me and my work, or something else, but when you watch the news in Afghanistan no one can speak out against the Taliban,” he said.

    “Once I saw the data breach, I understand why the Taliban has all the information about my family, why they were searching for each person I put on that list.”

    Ahmad said he wanted the UK government to get the rest of his family out of Afghanistan, along with everyone else whose data was leaked.

    He said he believed the data breach had put them all at “high risk”.

    Ahmad added that for females in Afghanistan, such as his sister, the situation was “very critical”.

    Their “hopes of being doctors, nurses, midwives and lawyers went to zero once the Taliban took control”, he said.

    ‘Incredibly alarmed’

    Sara De’Jong from the Sulha Alliance, which supports Afghans who worked for the British Army, said the data breach had a “huge impact” on the lives of people whose details were leaked.

    Ms De’Jong explained: “Normally, any other data breach – if an insurance company loses our data – we would have to be informed.

    “This wasn’t the case. People found out years later,” she said.

    Those affected were “incredibly alarmed and it made a lot of people who were safe in the UK worried about family at home”, Ms De’Jong said.

    She backed Ahmad’s calls, saying she would like to see the “interest of Afghans put front and centre – and that is something they are not confident has happened”.

    Ms De’Jong said she believed the MoD needed to restore confidence in the system as “the information the MoD is handling is extremely sensitive” and people needed to have confidence their data was being protected.

    An MoD spokesperson said: “We are committed to honouring the moral obligation we owe to those Afghans who stood with us and risked their lives, and we have brought nearly 36,000 individuals to safety under our Afghan resettlement schemes.

    “As the public would rightly expect, anyone coming to the UK must pass strict national security and eligibility checks before being able to relocate to the UK. In some cases people do not pass those checks.

    “The independent Rimmer Review concluded it is highly unlikely that merely being on the spreadsheet means an individual is more likely to be targeted, and this is the basis on which the court lifted its super-injunction.”

    Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.

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  • How Israel is pitting Palestinian clans in Gaza against Hamas

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    JERUSALEM — As Israel seeks to excise Hamas from Gaza, it’s empowering militias led by the Palestinian group’s enemies, assisting and providing them with military support in an attempt to present them as an alternative to Hamas’s rule in the enclave.

    The policy appears to date back to late last year, when Israel targeted local police forces in Gaza, justifying such attacks by saying that any government entity in Gaza is affiliated with Hamas; the result was chaos in parts of the Strip.

    In the ensuing security vacuum, a 32-year-old Palestinian tribesman named Yaser Abu Shabab emerged with some 100 of his clansmen to control aid routes near the Kerem Shalom crossing, a critically important aid conduit at the Gaza-Israel boundary.

    Aid organizations accuse groups like Abu Shabab’s of looting aid convoys, having ties to extremist groups and exacerbating famine in Gaza.

    In May, Jonathan Whitall, then director of the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Territories, said in a news briefing that “criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces,” have been “allowed to operate in proximity to the Kerem Shalom border crossing.”

    A month later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged his government, following the advice of security officials, had “activated” clans in Gaza to work against Hamas.

    “What’s bad about it?” he said in a video statement. “It’s only good and it only saves the lives of Israel Defense Force soldiers.”

    Abu Shabab has since styled his group into the so-called “Popular Forces.” Soon after Netanyahu’s address, Abu Shabab released a statement of his own denying receiving any arms from Israel. But other posts touting the group’s security and aid operations show him working in areas under the full control of the Israeli military, and reports from Israeli media say he has received Kalashnikov rifles from the military.

    Abu Shabab’s group may have been the first to make itself known in Gaza, but other militias have since cropped up, activists say, operating in various parts of the Strip in concert with the Israeli military.

    One of the more prominent examples is led by Hussam Al-Astal, 50, a former officer in the Palestinian Authority’s security service who was accused by colleagues in the Palestinian Authority and Hamas of collaborating with Israel in the 1990s and of assassinating a high-ranking Hamas official in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

    His group, which calls itself “The Strike Force Against Terror,” has cemented its control over Qizan Al-Najjar, a village south of Rafah, which Astal describes as a haven for those opposed to Hamas.

    “Today in my area, we have no war,” Astal said in a phone interview Friday, adding that others are expected to come and that anyone entering the area was vetted for ties to Hamas.

    “If you come here, you’ll see children playing. We have water, electricity, safety.”

    Smoke rises from buildings following heavy Israeli attacks as Palestinians continue to flee northern Gaza toward the south.

    (Khames Alrefi/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    Astal made his comments the same day Hamas announced that it will accept parts of the Trump administration plan to end the war which began when Hamas forces invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Hamas agreed to release hostages and largely give up its governing role in Gaza, which it has controlled since 2007.

    In a video posted in September, Al-Astal promises to pay $50 dollars to anyone who kills a Hamas fighter.

    “Every Hamas member I will personally throw in the trash heap. Hamas’s rule is ending,” he says.

    On Friday, Al-Astal’s group was involved in one of the bloodiest instances of intra-Palestinian fighting in the enclave, when a Hamas unit attacked a neighborhood in Khan Yunis in a bid to arrest members of a prominent clan accused of collaborating with Israel.

    In the ensuing firefight, five clansmen were killed, local sources say. Al-Astal said his forces assisted in fighting Hamas “using our special methods.” He did not elaborate on what those methods were, but the Israeli military released footage later on Friday showing it targeting Hamas militants it said were attacking a neighborhood in Khan Yunis; it said in a later that it killed 20 gunmen.

    Reports on social media said 11 Hamas members were killed, and their bodies were dragged through the streets of Khan Yunis. One video taken by local activists and posted on the messaging app Telegram shows the camera lingering over bloodied corpses lined side-by-side on the ground.

    Palestinians continue to flee to the southern regions with their belongings following Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults

    Palestinians continue to flee to the southern regions with their belongings following Israeli airstrikes and ground assaults in Gaza Strip on Oct. 3.

    (Saeed M. M. T. Jaras/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    It wouldn’t be the first time Israel has tried to create alternative governance structures in Palestinian communities. Between 1978 and 1984, it formed the Villages League, which aimed to dismantle the influence of the Palestine Liberation Organization by relying on prominent Palestinians, giving them incentives in return for their cooperation as a more pliant authority. The initiative failed.

    Around the same time, Israel empowered Palestinian Islamist groups including Hamas, hoping they would serve as a counterweight to the PLO and leftist, secular Palestinian factions that were prominent at the time.

    Being seen as cooperating with Israel remains a black mark in Palestinian society. The families of both Abu Shabab and Al-Astal issued statements disowning them.

    Al-Astal refused being characterized as a traitor, saying family members, including his sister, were killed by Israeli bombs. But he makes no secret of what he called coordination with the Israeli military, from whom he has received water, food and military equipment.

    “Hamas says I’m a traitor because I coordinate with Israel,” he said.

    “What do you think I’m coordinating? How to evacuate someone who is sick; how to provide food, water and services.”

    Not all clans have been receptive to Israel’s overtures.

    Last month, said Nizar Dughmush, the head of a prominent tribe in Gaza City, he was contacted by a militiaman who claimed he was an intermediary from the Israeli military.

    “He said the Israelis wanted us to take charge of a humanitarian zone in Gaza City, that we should recruit as many of our family members as we could, and they would provide logistical support, like arms, food and shelter,” Dughmush said.

    But Dughmush refused their offer, saying his family were civilians, and that though they were not affiliated with Hamas, they had no interest in being “tools of the occupation.”

    Two days later, Dughmush said, Israeli warplanes began pounding the tribe’s neighborhood, killing more than 100 members of his clan. Dughmush claims Israeli forces entered the neighborhood 48 hours later and systematically destroyed every house.

    “All of this is vengeance against us because we refused to cooperate,” he said. Two other clans, Dayri and Bakr, were approached in a similar fashion and had their areas attacked after rejecting Israel’s offer.

    “I’m talking to you now as a displaced person, along with what’s left of my clan, all of us spread out in different parts of Gaza,” Dughmush said.

    Al-Astal, who considers himself a longtime foe of Hamas, is unapologetic in his choices, which he sees as essential in a post-Hamas Gaza.

    “There’s no place for Hamas here,” he said.

    “We’re the new administration, and we’re the future.”

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    Nabih Bulos

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