[ad_1]
[ad_2]Source link
Tag: Gaza
-
Devastating chapter closes as hostages come home and ceasefire takes hold
[ad_1]
With all the remaining living hostages back in Israel, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, a devastating 2-year chapter is finally closed. Haley Ott reports.
[ad_2]
-
Israel and Hamas have a ceasefire deal. But college protesters say activism won’t stop
[ad_1]
At California universities Monday, the ceasefire in Gaza — and the accompanying hostage and prisoner exchange — emerged as an inflection point for the future of a student-led protest movement that for two years has roiled campuses.
The activism, along with its contentious aftermath, continues to reverberate as pro-Palestinian organizers and Jewish community leaders reckon with the tumult touched off by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
For months in 2024 — shortly after the onset of the deadliest and most destructive war between Israelis and Palestinians in history — college campuses in the U.S. convulsed in often confrontational protests. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations surged in the spring of that year with encampments where activists demanded campus policy changes, including U.S. university divestment of billions of dollars from weapons companies.
On this front, their activism largely foundered. In California, not one major university agreed to full divestment demands, which included boycotts of partnerships with Israeli universities. And campus policies did change — with university officials cracking down on protests and enforcing zero-tolerance policies against rule-breaking.
But David N. Myers, a UCLA professor of Jewish history, said student protesters appear to have helped change American views on Palestinians and Israel.
“Is the protest movement a failure? Well, if the measure is universities have cracked down, maybe,” Myers said. “But if the measure is general trend lines in American public opinion, I’m not so sure. And that should be a wake-up call to the pro-Israel movement.”
Amid the protests, allegations of antisemitism surged on campuses and Jewish students and faculty protested violations of their civil rights. Their complaints have prompted aggressive investigations by the Trump administration that are at the center of his goal to overhaul higher education to adhere to a sweeping conservative agenda that goes far beyond protections for Jewish communities.
Pro-Palestinian activists vow to continue
In interviews, pro-Palestinian students who participated in last year’s encampments and protests this year said the ceasefire was welcome news, but only fulfilled part of what led them to take to campus greens.
“While the news of a ceasefire is welcome, nothing fundamentally changes at UCLA or colleges in general,” said Dylan Kupsh, a doctoral computer science student at UCLA who was part of an encampment last year that was attacked by pro-Israel vigilantes.
“Our university is still invested in the oppression of Palestine. Students won’t rest until the university divests,” said Kupsh, who has faced student discipline procedures for participating in actions that the university alleges violated campus policies.
Student organizers in California said the ceasefire will infuse new energy into their activism, which has been accused of minimizing the plight of Israeli hostages and being antisemitic.
“We can momentarily feel a little bit of happiness, there is at least momentary end to the genocide,” said Ryan Witt, president of Students for Justice in Palestine at Cal State Channel Islands, which held a campus protest and vigil in support of Palestinians last week.
“There have been pictures of children in Gaza celebrating. I’m not dismissing that. But also recognizing that we need to keep fighting,” said Witt, who is Jewish.
Amanda, a student at USC who participated in pro-Palestinian encampments, said concerns remain on her campus.
“We see that our school, like all the others, is very worried about being seen as antisemitic by the government, so they are even stricter about protests and speech than they used to be,” she said.
Graeme Blair, a professor of political science at UCLA, said the climate for pro-Palestinian activism on campuses had worsened, and the government now aggressively treats pro-Palestinian speech as being antisemitic.
“The Trump administration is using every federal lever from the Justice Department to the Education Department to the State Department to crack down on antisemitism,” Blair said. “Universities like UCLA are, on their own and because of Trump pressure, continuing to arrest, discipline and fire people speaking out.”
For Jews on campus, ‘a chapter is ending’
Myers, who is Jewish, said the release of Israeli hostages felt like “the door to a very dark chamber has been opened and light has begun to peek out. At the same time, I can’t help but think of the next frame, which is the frame of pictures of Gaza, which is in a state of complete and total devastation.”
Among pro-Israel Jewish communities on campuses nationwide, there is also a sense of relief.
Jewish student groups had regularly gathered on campuses, including last week, for candlelight vigils, songs and prayer services to honor dead and living hostages in Gaza and their families two years after the Oct. 7 attack.
Many Jewish students have ties to Israel, whether from visiting or through family members who lived there and knew victims of the Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. About 20 living hostages were back in Israel this week, while Israel released roughly 1,900 Palestinian prisoners. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 67,000 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s war.
Sophia Toubian, an information studies graduate student at UCLA, said she hoped the hostages’ release is “actually a chapter ending.”
“I hope that it is a long-lasting peace, and it doesn’t just start right back up again — and that that translates into our experience here, both at school and just in the world.”
Toubian, who is Jewish and pro-Israel, said the pro-Palestinian protest movement had achieved at least some of its objectives.
“Every building that I go into on campus … without fail, I’m seeing something up on the wall about Palestine — supportive of Palestine,” she said.
“It wasn’t there before, and … it’s kind of up there in a way, like, ‘Yeah, of course, we all agree that this is the way that this should be, and so we’re going to show support of this thing.’ In that sense, it does feel like a success.”
And yet, UCLA senior Gal Cohavy, who is pro-Israel, said the tenor in Westwood has improved in recent months.
Cohavy said he hoped that the hostages’ release and the stop in fighting could allow people across the ideological spectrum to find common ground.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see more real conversation going on, and perhaps bridging a gap between the two sides and seeing cultural progress,” he said.
In a statement, Ha’Am, a Jewish student-run publication at UCLA, said now the “atmosphere has changed.”
“Since October 7, 2023, Jewish spaces have been places of grief, quiet, and emotional support for a community in turmoil. Today, as we enter those same spaces, the atmosphere has changed. There is a genuine sigh of relief in the air, a collective exhale, and the comforting knowledge that our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world are finally safe once again,” it said.
Lasting consequences among students
While pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students expressed approval over the events in the Middle East, both have faced lasting consequences of divisions on campus.
Reports of antisemitism as well as anti-Muslim and anti-Arab incidents have increased at colleges since 2023. Arrests, suspensions and expulsions of pro-Palestinian students and groups have also grown, though the vast majority of Los Angeles students detained by police during last year’s protests did not face criminal charges.
At UCLA, two Students for Justice in Palestine groups were banned this year for vandalizing the Brentwood home of a UC Board of Regents member who is Jewish with imagery that Jewish community leaders said used antisemitic tropes.
Among California universities, Stanford endured one of the more charged episodes.
A group of pro-Palestinian students there face felony vandalism and trespassing charges after they were accused of breaking into and vandalizing the university president’s office during a 2024 protest. This month, a Santa Clara County grand jury indicted the remaining 11 students, which pushes the case toward a trial.
Staff writer Karen Garcia contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Jaweed Kaleem, Daniel Miller
Source link -
NYC Mayor’s Race: Mamdani offers statement after hours of silence on Israeli hostages’ return while Cuomo, Sliwa applaud their release | amNewYork
[ad_1]
Republican Mayor nominee Curtis Sliwa (left), former Gov. and independent mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, and Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.
Photos by Lloyd Mitchell
Democratic mayoral nominee and frontrunner Zohran Mamdani waited more than 12 hours to address the release of the last remaining living Israeli hostages early on Monday morning — drawing criticism from rival Andrew Cuomo that he remained silent for too long.
Cuomo, the former governor who is running as an independent, and GOP nominee Curtis Sliwa applauded in Monday morning statements the last hostages’ release from Hamas’ custody, which occurred during the early hours of Oct. 13, New York time. Mamdani’s statement came in at 4:21 p.m. Monday; by then, Cuomo had blasted the Democratic candidate in a social media post a short time earlier, charging, “His silence speaks volumes.”
Mamdani, who is a staunch Israel critic and pro-Palestinian advocate, applauded both the return of the hostages and the end to Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza — which he again referred to as “a genocide” — that the overarching ceasefire deal brought.
“Today’s scenes of Israelis and Palestinians are profoundly moving: Israeli hostages being freed and families reunited after years of fear, uncertainty, and torture; the first days in Gaza without relentless Israeli bombardment of Palestinians as families return to rubble and loved ones freed from detention,” Mamdani said in a statement. “There is finally a glimmer of hope that this ceasefire will hold and the long, difficult work of reconstruction can begin.”
Much of Mamdani’s statement focused on holding the Israeli government accountable for the massive toll of death and destruction in Gaza.
“We have watched as our tax dollars have funded a genocide,” he said. “The moral and human cost will be a lasting stain and requires accountability and real examination of our collective conscience and our government’s policies. The responsibility now lies with those of us who believe in peace to make sure it endures, and that it is just. Once aid is delivered, the wounded are cared for, and a lasting agreement secured, we cannot look away. We must work towards a future built upon justice, one without occupation and apartheid, and for a world where every person can live with safety and dignity.”
amNewYork asked the Mamdani campaign about the reasons for the delayed statement, and is awaiting a response.
On Monday, Hamas returned the 20 living hostages and the remains of at least four deceased hostages as part of a ceasefire deal between itself and Israel to bring the 24-month war in Gaza to an end.
The conflict began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, in which the group killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages. Israel’s military offensive has since claimed the lives of over 68,000 Palestinians, displaced most of Gaza’s population from their homes, and left most of the coastal enclave in ruins.
Also, as part of the deal, Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held inside its jails.
‘A moral moment’
While Mamdani focused mostly on the end of the war in Gaza, Cuomo and Sliwa barely mentioned it, instead focusing mostly on the return of the hostages.
Cuomo cast the event as “a moral moment, a reminder of our shared humanity and the sacred value of every life.”
“For two long years, families have lived through unimaginable pain, sleepless nights, and endless heartache,” Cuomo said. “Today, their prayers have been answered, as the remaining hostages are finally home in the arms of their loved ones, where they belong.”
The former governor also urged people not to forget the Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught where Hamas took the hostages, quoting Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who documented his ordeal in the autobiography “Night” and won the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize for his life’s work advocating against violence, racism, and repression.
“Elie Wiesel once said, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,’” Cuomo said. “Today, we reject indifference & choose remembrance. And we choose hope: hope that peace is possible.”
Sliwa expressed similar sentiments in his own statement, in which he also credited President Trump with brokering the ceasefire deal. His praise came despite his rocky relationship with Trump.
“After two long years, all the living hostages are now safely home! A massive weight has been lifted from their families’ shoulders,” Sliwa said. “The 20 surviving hostages are reunited with families and loved ones after 738 agonizing days in captivity. 7+3+8 = 18, which means Chai, which means “life” in Judaism. A number that embodies life, hope, and blessing. We pray that these hostages coming home can recover and live peacefully again.”
[ad_2]
Ethan Stark-Miller
Source link -
News Analysis: For Trump, celebration and a victory lap in the Middle East
[ad_1]
Summoned last minute by the president of the United States, the world’s most powerful leaders dropped their schedules to fly to Egypt on Monday, where they idled on a stage awaiting Donald Trump’s grand entrance.
They were there to celebrate a significant U.S. diplomatic achievement that has ended hostilities in Gaza after two brutal years of war. But really, they were there for Trump, who took a victory lap for brokering what he called the “greatest deal of them all.”
“Together we’ve achieved what everyone said was impossible, but at long last, we have peace in the Middle East,” Trump told gathered presidents, sheikhs, prime ministers and emirs, arriving in Egypt after addressing the Knesset in Israel. “Nobody thought it could ever get there, and now we’re there.
“Now, the rebuilding begins — the rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part,” Trump said. “I think we’ve done a lot of the hardest part, because the rest comes together. We all know how to rebuild, and we know how to build better than anybody in the world.”
The achievement of a ceasefire in Gaza has earned Trump praise from across the political aisle and from U.S. friends and foes around the world, securing an elusive peace that officials hope will endure long enough to provide space for a wider settlement of Mideast tensions.
Trump’s negotiation of the Abraham Accords in his first term, which saw his administration secure diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, were a nonpartisan success embraced by the succeeding Biden administration. But it was the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and the overwhelming response from Israel that followed, that interrupted efforts by President Biden and his team to build on their success.
The Trump administration now hopes to get talks of expanding the Abraham Accords back on track, eyeing new deals between Israel and Lebanon, Syria, and most of all, Saudi Arabia, effectively ending Israel’s isolation from the Arab world.
Yet, while the current Gaza war appears to be over, the greater Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains.
Trump’s diplomatic success halted the deadliest and most destructive war between Israelis and Palestinians in history, making the achievement all the more notable. Yet the record of the conflict shows a pattern of cyclical violence that flares when similar ceasefires are followed by periods of global neglect.
The first phase of Trump’s peace plan saw Israeli defense forces withdraw from half of Gazan territory, followed by the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7 in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees and prisoners in Israeli custody.
The next phase — Hamas’ disarmament and Gaza’s reconstruction — may not in fact be “the easiest part,” experts say.
“Phase two depends on Trump keeping everyone’s feet to the fire,” said Dennis Ross, a veteran diplomat on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who served in the George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama administrations.
“Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction are tied together,” he added. “The Saudis and Emiratis won’t invest the big sums Trump talked about without it. Otherwise they know this will happen again.”
While the Israeli government voted to approve the conditions of the hostage release, neither side has agreed to later stages of Trump’s plan, which would see Hamas militants granted amnesty for disarming and vowing to remain outside of Palestinian governance going forward.
An apolitical, technocratic council would assume governing responsibilities for an interim period, with an international body, chaired by Trump, overseeing reconstruction of a territory that has seen 90% of its structures destroyed.
President Trump speaks during a summit of world leaders Monday in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.
(Amr Nabil / Associated Press)
The document, in other words, is not just a concession of defeat by Hamas, but a full and complete surrender that few in the Middle East believe the group will ultimately accept. While Hamas could technically cease to exist, the Muslim Brotherhood — a sprawling political movement throughout the region from which Hamas was born — could end up reviving the group in another form.
In Israel, the success of the next stage — as well as a long-delayed internal investigation into the government failures that led to Oct. 7 — will likely dominate the next election, which could be called for any time next year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s domestic polling fluctuated dramatically over the course of the war, and both flanks of Israeli society, from the moderate left to the far right, are expected to exploit the country’s growing war fatigue under his leadership for their own political gain.
Netanyahu’s instinct has been to run to the right in every Israeli election this last decade. But catering to a voting bloc fueling Israel’s settler enterprise in the West Bank — long the more peaceful Palestinian territory, governed by a historically weak Palestinian Authority — runs the risk of spawning another crisis that could quickly upend Trump’s peace effort.
And crises in the West Bank have prompted the resumption of war in Gaza before.
“Israelis will fear Hamas would dominate a Palestinian state, and that is why disarmament of Hamas and reform of the [Palestinian Authority] are so important. Having Saudi leaders reach out to the Israeli public would help,” Ross said.
“The creeping annexation in the West Bank must stop,” Ross added. “The expansion of settlements must stop, and the violence of extremist settlers must stop.”
In the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, Netanyahu faced broad criticism for a yearslong strategy of disempowering the Palestinian Authority to Hamas’ benefit, preferring a conflict he knew Israel could win over a peace Israel could not control.
So the true fate of Trump’s peace plan may ultimately come down to the type of peace Netanyahu chooses to pursue in the heat of an election year.
“You are committed to this peace,” Netanyahu said Monday, standing alongside Trump in the Knesset. The Israeli prime minister added: “I am committed to this peace.”
[ad_2]
Michael Wilner
Source link -
Fact-checking Trump’s speech to Israel’s Knesset
[ad_1]
President Donald Trump, speaking in Israel on the day that Hamas released all living Israeli hostages and Israel released Palestinian prisoners and detainees, framed the agreement he helped broker as a “historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
He told the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, “This is not only the end of a war, this is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God.”
Trump’s Oct. 13 address focused on his administration’s efforts to produce an agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included a Gaza ceasefire and the release of 20 Israeli hostages, 250 Palestinian prisoners and about 1,700 Palestinian detainees held without charges.
The future phases of the 20-point plan that could lead to a lasting peace are complicated and uncertain. After his speech, Trump flew to Egypt to sign the deal with world leaders at a summit that launched the first phase of the agreement.
Under the plan, Arab and international partners will develop a stabilization force to deploy in Gaza, while day-to-day governance would shift from Hamas to a Palestinian committee. The committee will include Palestinians and international experts, with oversight by the “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
Trump, the fourth U.S. president to address the Knesset, praised his handpicked negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio while taking swipes at his Democratic predecessors, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He also called for Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced a years-long corruption case.
Here are fact-checks of some of Trump’s comments:
Says he “settled eight wars in eight months.”
The agreement signed today is widely considered a landmark moment in a decades-long conflict, and Trump was a key player. But his repeated talking point about solving eight wars is exaggerated.
Trump had a hand in ceasefires that have recently eased conflicts between Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, and Armenia and Azerbaijan. But these were mostly incremental accords, and some leaders dispute the extent of Trump’s role.
Peace has not held in other conflicts. The U.S. was involved in a temporary peace deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, but violence in the region has continued, with hundreds of civilians killed since the deal’s June signing. After Trump helped broker a deal between Cambodia and Thailand, the countries have accused each other of ceasefire violations that have led to violent skirmishes.
A long-running standoff between Egypt and Ethiopia over an Ethiopian dam on the Nile remains unresolved, and it is closer to a diplomatic dispute than a military clash. In the case of Kosovo and Serbia, there is little evidence a potential war was brewing.
Trump has made notable progress by securing the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage agreement, but the deal involves multiple stages, so it will take time to see if peace holds.
People gather to greet freed Palestinian prisoners in the Gaza Strip after their release from Israeli jails under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP)
“So we dropped 14 bombs on Iran’s key nuclear facilities, totally, as I said originally, obliterating them. That’s been confirmed.”
It is impossible to know whether Operation Midnight Hammer — in which the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities in June to undercut Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities — succeeded in “obliterating” those sites, because U.S. and allied intelligence is not necessarily available to the public.
More than three months after the U.S. attack on Fordo, a major underground Iranian nuclear site, it’s not clear how much damage U.S. bombs created. Officials haven’t publicly released a definitive damage assessment.
An Aug. 20 analysis by The New York Times said subsequent assessments have found an increasing likelihood that significant damage resulted from the strike. However, the Times concluded that “with so many variables — and so many unknowns — it may be difficult to ever really be certain.”
“The Iran nuclear deal turned out to be a disaster.”
Trump omits that Iran had largely complied with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in which the country agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons and allow continuous monitoring of its compliance in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. The agreement was set to expire over 10 to 25 years.
Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and did not renegotiate the agreement as he promised.
Many experts praised the pact for keeping nuclear weapons out of Tehran’s hands. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it found Iran committed no violations, aside from minor infractions that were addressed.
After dropping out of the compact, the U.S. imposed economic sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, and Iran reduced its compliance with the deal.
People gather to watch a broadcast of Israeli hostages released from Gaza at a plaza known as hostages square in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP)
Under the Obama and Biden administrations, “there was a hatred toward Israel, it was an absolute hatred.”
The two Democratic presidents had somewhat strained relationships with Netanyahu, who has often courted U.S. Republican leaders, but during their tenures, the U.S. continued to support Israeli foreign policy and its military.
Osamah Khalil, Syracuse University history professor and expert on the modern Middle East, said it’s untrue that Obama or Biden “held a personal animus toward Israel, especially Biden.”
“Indeed, both administrations oversaw expansions in U.S. military assistance and coordination with Israel,” Khalil said. “In 2016, Obama signed the largest U.S. military aid package in history.”
In 2016, the U.S. and Israel signed a 10-year, $38 billion memorandum of understanding. It cited several priorities, including updating the Israeli air fleet and maintaining the country’s missile defense system.
Military funding for Israel continued under Biden. In the two years since Oct. 7, 2023, the U.S. government spent $21.7 billion on military aid to Israel.
Biden ordered U.S. troops to be deployed in and around Israel and Gaza and shielded Israel at the U.N. by blocking many cease-fire resolutions, Khalil said.
Obama and Biden “did nothing with this incredible document, the Abraham Accords.”
Obama’s presidency ended years before the Abraham Accords were signed.
The 2020 agreement during Trump’s first term brought together the leaders of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. The countries agreed to peace and cooperation with Israel, establishing embassies, preventing hostilities and fostering tourism and trade.
The Biden administration tried to bring Saudi Arabia into the accord, but this effort languished after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
After the 2023 Hamas attacks, “The idea of official Israeli-Saudi relations became much harder,” said Jeremy Pressman, a University of Connecticut political science professor and expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Trump and fellow dignitaries pose at the Gaza International Peace Summit, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct. 13, 2025. (AP)
“You walk over from Iran to Qatar, you can walk it in one second. You go boom, boom, and now you’re in Qatar.” (To reporters on Air Force One, Oct. 12.)
Qatar sits across the Persian Gulf from Iran, more than 100 miles over water at its closest point.
Driving from Qatar to Iran would take at least 24 hours, according to Google Maps, and would require passing through Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. (Border crossings in this part of the world would likely add to the drive’s duration.)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi “liked me so much, he never even got to see Hillary” Clinton in 2016. “He saw her for about two seconds.” (Trump remarks in Egypt, Oct. 13.)
This is inaccurate. Trump and Hillary Clinton, as their party’s 2016 presidential nominees, both met with Sisi when he was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2016.
Politico reported that Sisi’s session with Clinton “lasted more than an hour.” The Clinton presidential campaign said they discussed counterterrorism, human rights, the Middle East and economic development in Egypt.
Trump met with Sisi that night.
RELATED: Fact-checking Trump Cabinet meeting during shutdown, National Guard deployments
[ad_2]
-
Key moments from a momentous day for Israelis and Palestinians
[ad_1]
(CNN) — The last 20 living hostages held in Gaza were released on Monday, reuniting with their families in jubilant scenes as world leaders gathered in Egypt to discuss the future of Gaza and the next phases of the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
For the first time in more than two years, Hamas and its allies are not holding any living hostages in Gaza.
Meanwhile, 1,718 Palestinian detainees who were being held in Israel without charge were released on Monday and returned to Gaza. Israel also released 250 Palestinians serving long-term sentences.
Addressing the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday during his trip to the Middle East, US President Donald Trump said the “long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
“This is a historic dawn of a new Middle East,” Trump told Israeli lawmakers, having earlier projected confidence that the ceasefire deal would hold and that the war in Gaza was over.
But a number of issues related to the 20-point plan brokered by Trump, alongside Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, remain unresolved.
Here are some key moments from Monday and where the peace process may go next:
Hostages freed
The remaining 20 living hostages were released in two groups on Monday, prompting elation and relief throughout Israel.
In Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, large crowds cheered, waved flags and chanted “thank you, Trump!” as news of the hostages’ freedom was announced.
Emotional scenes unfolded at the Re’im military facility in southern Israel, where the released hostages were reunited with their immediate families after more than two years in captivity.
In footage shared by the Israeli military, 24-year-old Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, was met by his parents and siblings. His family cried and embraced him in a large hug.
Omri Miran embraces his father Dani in Re’im, Israel, after his release from captivity on October 13. Credit: Israel Defense Forces / Reuters via CNN Newsource Omri Miran, 48, who was kidnapped when Hamas gunmen broke into his family’s home in kibbutz Nahal Oz, was met by his wife Lishay Miran-Lavi and his father Dani Miran. Photos showed him playing with his children for the first time in more than two years.
“We are at the beginning of a complex and challenging, yet moving, journey of recovery,” Miran’s family said in a statement.
Under the agreement brokered by the US, Hamas and its allies were meant to release all of the remaining hostages, including 28 dead ones, within 72 hours of the ceasefire being announced.
Israeli authorities said that Hamas had handed over four coffins said to contain the remains of four deceased hostages to the Red Cross on Monday.
Later in the day, Israeli police said the coffins had been released into Israel, before being escorted to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv for formal identification. Israel has not yet confirmed the identities of the remains being returned.
Palestinian prisoners released
Israel released 1,718 Palestinian detainees – detained by its forces in Gaza over the past two years and held without charge – on Monday. The detainees were brought back to Gaza on buses, where they were met by large crowds at Nasser hospital in the southern part of the enclave.
A freed Palestinian is hugged by a relative in Ramallah, West Bank, after he was released from an Israeli jail on October 13. Credit: Ammar Awad / Reuters via CNN Newsource Israel also released 250 Palestinians serving life or long-term prison sentences.
Some of those released prisoners were taken to the occupied West Bank, where they were hugged by family and friends as they emerged from buses in Ramallah. CNN also witnessed a substantial presence of Palestinian security forces and medics at the scene.
A further 154 Palestinian prisoners who had been serving long sentences in Israeli jails were deported to Egypt, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Israeli authorities had demanded that prisoners convicted of “violent offenses” be deported to third countries rather than be allowed to return to the West Bank or Gaza.
Trump’s pointed address to Israel
Trump spoke for more than an hour in the Israeli parliament, taking a victory lap for the ceasefire deal and repeatedly, pointedly telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not restart the war.
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won,” Trump said. “Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It’s about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
The US president also warned that more war would diminish Netanyahu’s legacy, adding that he will be remembered for the truce “far more than if you kept this thing going.”
Netanyahu has previously been accused of prolonging the war in Gaza in order to delay and distract from his corruption cases and domestic political troubles, an accusation he’s rejected.
World leaders meet in Egypt
Trump traveled on to Egypt to meet with other world leaders, including the leaders of Qatar, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. They converged on the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Egypt and the US are co-hosting a summit on the end of the Gaza war and the next phases of a peace plan.
World leaders took part in a signing ceremony for the Gaza ceasefire deal during the summit.
Netanyahu said he was invited but did not attend.
The 20-point ceasefire plan brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey still has several unresolved issues and details that must be hammered out.
Those sticking points include how the largely destroyed Gaza Strip will be governed after the war, as well as how Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza will be carried out.
Next steps of ceasefire plan
The full withdrawal of the Israeli military is contingent on Hamas’ disarmament, according to the agreement, leaving some wiggle room for Netanyahu to say Israel still has the freedom to resume fighting.
Hamas’ chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said last week that the group has received guarantees from the US and international mediators confirming that this deal means “the war has ended permanently,” rather than representing a temporary ceasefire. It’s not clear in what form those guarantees came.
The key unanswered question is what will happen to Hamas, according to Burcu Ozcelik, senior research fellow for Middle East security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a British think tank.
“You have what looks like a pathway to Palestinian statehood … but this, ultimately, is a Palestinian state that does not seem to have any place for Hamas. To what extent Hamas will agree to this and comply with this in the weeks and months to come – I think that is a big question,” Ozcelik told CNN.
“I think Israel will retain what it sees as its national security imperative to operate in Gaza if it believes that there is a credible threat to its security and its border communities,” Ozcelik said. “But at the same time, there needs to be a governing body in Gaza. There needs to be security and law enforcement. There needs to be basic service delivery and distribution of vital humanitarian aid.”
She added that other regional actors will be expected to play an important role in the transition, particularly Egypt and Turkey. “I think for the time being, all sides are going to want to be seen as doing all that they can to make Trump’s plan work.”
CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Ivana Kottasova, Kara Fox, Tim Lister, Abeer Salman and Eyad Kourdi contributed to this report.
Related
[ad_2]
Lauren Kent and CNN
Source link -
Amid relief of Gaza ceasefire, US Muslim, Jewish groups agree on difficulty of achieving lasting peace – WTOP News
[ad_1]
U.S.-based Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups agree a lot of work remains to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East, despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
All 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel are free as part of a ceasefire in Gaza. But halfway around the world, U.S.-based Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups agree a lot of work remains to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.
Alan Ronkin, regional director of the American Jewish Committee in D.C., said this is a long-awaited relief for the hostages held since Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
“It’s going to take some time to get them back to be themselves, back to their families, and God willing, achieve some sort of a normal life after being through this absolute hell for the past two years,” Ronkin said.
Haris Tarin, vice president of policy and programming with the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said “that the Palestinian people will hopefully be able to breathe again, and that the suffering will stop.”
“The fact that Palestinians in Gaza can actually go back to their homes — even if it’s just rubble — to be able to go back to that rubble,” Tarin said. “So, there is relief, and some room for celebration.”
Yet with Israel’s insistence that Hamas disarm, the likelihood of a permanent peace in the near future is slim.
“We don’t have trust in the Netanyahu government to move forward and stick to its side of the deal,” Tarin said. “So, we just hope the Trump administration and the international community will hold the Netanyahu government accountable, to do what it’s supposed to do.”
Ronkin called recent developments “a potentially historic and pivotal moment in the Middle East — one that could move us toward a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.”
However, “There are unprecedented challenges in the region, but today is a day of hope and a day to focus on the necessity for the work to come.”
Tarin said he believes the road to peace is more straightforward.
“If the occupation leaves, and life is made a little bit more sustainable for the Palestinian people to live side by side with the Israelis, then I think there’s room for lasting peace,” Tarin said. “But, if this peace deal’s just another way to continue the occupation, there’s no road.”
Ronkin was asked whether each side would have to make sacrifices to reach a lasting peace.
“Look, peace is always a matter of compromise, and we’re not there yet.”
“Palestinians also have the right to self-determination and sovereignty, in some way,” Ronkin said. “The idea is, we’ve got to figure out how to do it.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
[ad_2]
Neal Augenstein
Source link -
What’s next in the Gaza peace plan after Israeli hostages released, Palestinian prisoners freed
[ad_1]
The next phase of the Gaza peace plan brokered by President Trump moved forward significantly on Monday as Hamas released all of the 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and as more aid started to flow into the Palestinian territory after two years of war.
The steps are crucial parts of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, and they came three days after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza and Israeli troops pulled back to a pre-determined line.
World leaders, including Mr. Trump, were meeting in Egypt on Monday for a summit on the future of Gaza and the broader Middle East.
But the situation remains fragile, with major questions over what comes next still to be answered.
Negotiations over next steps
Israel and Hamas have little trust in each other, and it took a number of failed, indirect negotiations in Doha, Qatar’s capital, to get to the truce, with Egypt and Qatar acting as meditators.
The initial phases of the agreement called for: the release of the final hostages held by Hamas, living and dead; the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel; a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza; and a partial pullback by Israeli forces from Gaza’s main cities.
Egypt’s foreign minister said on Monday that it was crucial that Israel and Hamas fully implement the first phase of the deal so that the parties can start negotiations on the second phase. As of Monday evening, all living hostages were back in Israel, but the remains of many of the slain captives remained in Gaza.
Later phases of the plan will have to address thornier issues such as Gaza’s postwar governance, Israel’s demand that Hamas disarm, which the group has rejected, and Palestinian demands for a state, which the current Israeli government has rejected.
Negotiations over those issues could break down, and Israel has hinted it may resume military operations if its demands are not met.
President Trump’s plan to end the war also stipulates that regional and international partners will work to develop the core of a new Palestinian security force.
Reconstruction will be another major challenge. The World Bank, and a postwar plan proposed by Egypt, estimates that at least $53 billion will be needed to rebuild the shattered Palestinian territory. Egypt plans to host a future reconstruction conference.
Will Hamas disarm?
Among the most difficult issues is Israel’s insistence that a weakened Hamas completely 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 Gaza City, the southern city of Khan Younis and other areas, but it remains in control of about 53% of the enclave, according to Israeli officials. Troops remain in most of the southern city of Rafah, towns of Gaza’s far north, and a wide strip along the length of Gaza’s border with Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel was “tightening the noose around Hamas from all sides,” and vowed that Gaza would be demilitarized after the Israeli government approved the peace plan, which it did hours later.
“Hamas will disarm and Gaza will be demilitarized. If this can be achieved the easy way, all the better; if not, it will be achieved the hard way,” Netanyahu said, addressing reporters.
Who will govern Gaza?
Israel and Hamas have not agreed on Gaza’s postwar governance.
Under the U.S. plan, an international body is supposed to govern the Palestinian territory, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas and other factions would not have any role in Gaza’s governance.
The plan envisions an eventual role for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority — something Netanyahu has long opposed. But it requires the authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, to first undergo a sweeping reform program, and it does not provide any timeline for the process.
Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The deal also recognizes an independent Palestinian state as, “the aspiration of the Palestinian people,” but it’s unclear if or when discussions on statehood could take place, and Israel’s Netanyahu has repeatedly said he will not allow the creation of a Palestinian state.
International security force
The plan calls for an Arab-led international security force in Gaza, along with Palestinian police trained by Egypt and Jordan. It says Israeli forces will leave additional areas as those forces deploy.
Under the plan, the force would work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with the newly trained Palestinian police forces.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said the international force needs a U.N. Security Council resolution to endorse its deployment and mandate as a peacekeeping force.
About 200 U.S. troops are now in Israel to monitor the ceasefire and the early stages of the peace plan. They were expected to carry out that work in conjunction with partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector players.
[ad_2]
-
Opinion | What I Saw in Gaza in the Final Days of War
[ad_1]
Your editorial gathers the right “ Lessons of Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal” (Oct. 10). President Trump did what not only President Biden couldn’t but what all the European leaders recently calling for “cease-fire” never tried. The 20-point plan achieves Israel’s goals of the war, protects Palestinian interests, offers hope for a future without Hamas and sets the conditions for lasting peace.
As I boarded my plane out of Tel Aviv on Oct. 10, pure joy was in the air. It permeated every space, billboard sign and hotel. Israelis weren’t celebrating vengeance. They were relishing the prospect of peace, security and the end of a nightmare.
Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
[ad_2]
Source link -
The End of Israel’s Hostage Ordeal
[ad_1]
When Witkoff took to the lectern, the crowd broke out in enthusiastic applause and chants of “Thank you, Trump!” But, when he tried to mention Netanyahu’s name, his words were drowned out by jeers that lasted long enough for Kushner to be seen giggling uncomfortably behind him. Netanyahu’s son Yair later lashed out, claiming, outlandishly, that the booing protesters were “funded by Qatar.” Even some in the opposition complained that the booing was impolitic. But the Israeli public follows the news. It knows that Netanyahu and his ministers have repeatedly stalled and torpedoed past attempts to bring back the hostages and end the war. Some ministers even voted against a previous deal to bring back the children then still held in captivity. (That deal went into effect, anyway.) It takes a level of stony fanaticism, not to mention downright cruelty, to do that. Israelis will not soon forget it.
For the hostages, a lengthy and uncertain process of recovery now begins. During the weekend, I spoke by phone to Hagai Levine, who heads the medical team for the organization of hostages’ families. “The feeling is nerve-racking,” he said, adding that many health experts working with the released captives felt a certain “duality.” On the one hand, there is by now a body of knowledge about how to manage the care of returned hostages. There will, for example, be an emphasis on trying to place hostages who had been together in captivity in the same hospital, because of their need to remain close and provide support to one another. On the other hand, as Levine told me, “this is the first time we are receiving people after two years. We can’t stick to protocol.” Though the group of twenty seemed in relatively good health upon their release, some have reportedly suffered severe physical abuse. And some were left by themselves for long stretches. Alon Ohel, a twenty-four-year-old pianist who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, was kept in a tunnel beneath Gaza, along with three other abductees. Those three were released this past winter, during the last hostage exchange. Ohel remained alone, and was reportedly isolated since then.
Adding to the uncertainty is the question of the hostages’ medical changes over time, Levine said. A captive who has lost forty pounds, for example, may actually have lost eighty pounds but gained some of it back before his release. During the past two years, some of the captives may have experienced the decline, or even failure, of vital organs. “In the first days, people think that, because the hostages are walking, they are speaking, maybe the situation is not so bad,” Levine said, in a briefing with reporters. But, he went on, “We realized over time that there are internal injuries like renal problems, neurological problems, and cardiac problems that may be increased, including accelerated aging.”
Still, Levine chose to focus on the hopeful side of this release. For one thing, he told me, all surviving hostages will be coming home. This means that those released won’t be faced with the burden and guilt associated with knowing that others have been left behind; nor will they confront the impossible prospect of becoming instant advocates, taking up the very public fight for the release of others. “This gives us an opportunity that didn’t exist before, when they were constantly under the shadow of the other hostages and couldn’t devote themselves to their own rehabilitation,” Levine said.
Speaking at a rally in southern Israel ahead of the release, Sagui Dekel-Chen, who spent almost five hundred days in captivity, addressed the relatives expecting their loved ones: “You’re allowed to smile and hug, but, please, not too strongly,” he said. “Don’t spill information on them, because they haven’t been told anything. Don’t rush to tell them how much you suffered and how much you fought for them. It’s heavy for them to carry, and they already know.” He then turned to his fellow former captives. “Brothers. You are finally allowed to break down everything you’ve been holding in. Let it all out, from the stomach, everything you couldn’t do there at night on a concrete floor surrounded by friends and captors.”
As the hostages reunited with their families, Israel was preparing to release almost two thousand Palestinian prisoners and detainees it had guaranteed to free in exchange. Two hundred and fifty of them had been serving life sentences, many for carrying out attacks that killed Israeli civilians. The second phase of the ceasefire agreement—which will address the future rule of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, and the timeline and extent of a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory—is still undecided, and will likely take many more weeks to negotiate. A summit on the subject is set to begin later on Monday, in Egypt. At Trump’s request, Netanyahu received a last-minute invitation from the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Axios reported. He declined to attend, citing the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah as an excuse. Perhaps he reasoned that it would not serve him to be seen in attendance as a group of Arab and Muslim countries, along with others, sketched out the parameters of a future Palestinian state—something he has steadfastly insisted will never happen.
Across the fence, in Gaza, Palestinians had been trekking with their belongings for days, since preparations for the ceasefire were announced. Many returned to their homes over the weekend, only to find them under heaps of rubble. Ezzideen Shehab, a Gaza-based doctor, lost more than seventy members of his extended family. On Saturday, he wrote on social media about his experience of homecoming. “Today we learned that our homes, our land, and our entire neighborhood, every house belonging to our family and our neighbors, have been completely erased,” he wrote. “We were the victims of an annihilation ignited by Hamas from within our homes, only for the Israeli army to descend upon us and unleash its full cruelty on the civilians of Gaza, while Hamas’s fighters vanished into their tunnels.”
[ad_2]
Ruth Margalit
Source link -
Trump hails
-
10/12: Sunday Morning
[ad_1]
Hosted by Jane Pauley. Featured: America’s spirit of innovation; Jeremy Allen White, starring as The Boss in “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”; Donnie Wahlberg, returning in the “Blue Bloods” spinoff “Boston Blue”; Katheryn Bigelow on her new nuclear thriller “A House of Dynamite”; former Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court today; and “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening.
[ad_2]
-
Who are the hostages being released?
[ad_1]
The Israeli military says the first hostages have been handed over by Hamas and have returned to Israel. Until Monday, 48 hostages were still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
All but one were among the 251 people abducted during the Palestinian group’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.
Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 67,000 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Hostages who Israel says have been released
Eitan Mor, 25, was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. His father Mor said he saved dozens of people before being kidnapped by Hamas gunmen. In February 2025, Eitan’s family said they had received a sign of life from him. Three months later, they said a released hostage who spent time with him in a tunnel had told them how he had acted as a “spokesman to the captors” and “lifted everyone’s spirits”.
Alon Ohel, 24, has Israeli, German and Serbian citizenship. Hamas footage showed him being taken away as a hostage from the Nova festival. Alon was not seen in another video until August 2025, when he was filmed being driven around Gaza City with Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last month, Alon’s family approved the publication of a still from a new video which they said showed he had gone blind in one eye.
Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv’s family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive.
Twins Gali and Ziv Berman were taken hostage along with their British-Israeli neighbour Emily Damari, who has since been released [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, attended the festival with his brother, Gal, who said the last time they saw each other was just before Hamas launched its first barrage of rockets into Israel at the start of the attack. Gal evaded the gunmen on the ground, but Guy was kidnapped. Last month, Hamas released a video showing Guy and another hostage, Alon Ohel, being driven around Gaza City in late August as the Israeli military prepared to launch an offensive there.
Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.
Omri Miran, 48, was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz. His wife, Lishay, said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. She and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, were not taken with him. In April 2025, Hamas released a video showing Omri marking his 48th birthday. In response: Lishay said: “I always said and I always knew, Omri is a survivor.”
Hamas published a video earlier this year purporting to show Omri Miran alive [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Hostages who are set to be released
Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel’s brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: “We are in a horror movie.” Ariel’s partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed in January 2025 under a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead hostages during a two-month ceasefire.
David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel’s brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David’s wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon’s sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed. In February 2025, David’s family said released hostages had told them that had recently seen him alive.
Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.
Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz. Ilana was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity. He said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments, shortages of food, water and medicine.
Eitan Horn, 38, an Israeli-Argentine dual national, was kidnapped along with his elder brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was freed in February 2025 during the last ceasefire. Hamas released a video at the time showing Eitan and Yair hugging and breaking down in tears ahead of the latter’s release. “Every day we imagined what we’d do if we were freed,” Yair recalled recently.
Nimrod Cohen, 21, was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was attacked by Hamas at Nahal Oz. In February 2025, his family were told by one of the released hostages that he was still alive in captivity but in poor physical and mental shape. After the new ceasefire was agreed, his mother Viki posted on social media: “My child, you are coming home.”
Dozens of people were taken hostage during the attack by Hamas gunmen on the Nova music festival. Among those believed to be still alive are:
Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, had been at the festival with a friend, who said they had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. In May 2025, Hamas published a video showing Yosef and another hostage, Elkana Bohbot. Yosef is seen sitting beside Elkana, who is lying on the ground. An intravenous drip is hooked up to the wall next to Elkana.
Yosef-Chaim Ohana was captured while trying to help others flee Hamas gunmen [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they were immediately separated. Noa and three other hostages were rescued in an Israeli military operation in central Gaza in June 2024. In March 2025, Avinatan’s family said they had received a sign that he was still alive. His British-Israeli mother, Ditza, has said she just wants to put her ear to his chest and hear his heartbeat again.
Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israel-Russian dual national who was invited to the festival at the last moment. His two friends were among the 378 people killed in the attack. In April 2025, Maxim appeared in a Hamas video along with Bar Kupershtein – the first signs of life from either man since they were taken hostage. The following month, Maxim was seen alone in another video and appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas said was the result of an Israeli air strike.
Maxim Herkin is one of two dual nationals believed to still be alive in Hamas captivity [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Bar Kupershtein, 23, was working at the festival and stayed behind during the attack to help treat casualties. He told his grandmother that he would head home as soon as they were finished. But he was later identified him in a video of hostages. They heard no further information about him until April 2025, when he was seen in a video with Maxim Herkin.
Segev Kalfon, 27, was running away from the festival with a friend when he was taken hostage by Hamas gunmen. Two months later, the Israeli military found a video of the abduction. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Segev’s father, Kobi, that they had been held captive with four other men in a tunnel in “terrible conditions”.
Evyatar David, 24, was at the festival and on the morning of the attacks. He texted the family to say “they are bombarding the party”. His family say they later received a text from an unknown number, containing video footage of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of an emaciated and weak Evyatar in a tunnel. The footage caused outrage in Israel and deep concern among his family. “He’s a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment,” said his brother Ilay.
Rom Braslabski, 21, was working on security for the festival. According to an account published by Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person in the attack when he was caught in a volley of fire. In August 2025, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom, in which he is seen crying as he says he has run out of food and water. He says he is unable to stand or walk, and “is at death’s door”. Medical experts said he was suffering from “deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation”.
Hostages whose conditions are unknown
Tamir Nimrodi, 20, was an education officer in the IDF at the Erez Crossing on 7 October. The last time his mother, Herut, saw him was in a video of his abduction posted on social media that day. Since then, she has received no signs of life and his fate is unknown.
Bipin Joshi, 24, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. Footage from 7 October 2023 showed him walking inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. His family received no signs of life for a year, until the Israeli military shared a video showing him in captivity around November 2023. The family released the footage just before the new ceasefire was announced, describing it as “proof of life”.
Bipin Joshi is one of two men whose status is uncertain [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Hostages who are confirmed dead
Tamir Adar, 38, was a member of Nir Oz’s community security squad who was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack, his kibbutz announced in January 2024. The body of the farmer and father-of-two is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Sonthaya Akrasri, 30, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, Thailand’s foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Muhammad al-Atarash, 39, was a sergeant-major in the IDF and served as a tracker. In June 2024, the IDF confirmed the father-of-13 from the Bedouin village of Sawa was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen near Nahal Oz on 7 October and that his body was being held in Gaza.
Sahar Baruch, 24, was kidnapped from Be’eri. In January 2024, the IDF announced that he had been killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces in Gaza. It was not clear whether he was killed by Hamas or Israeli gunfire.
Uriel Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova festival. In March 2024, the father-of-two’s family said they had been informed by the IDF that he was killed in captivity in Gaza.
Inbar Hayman, 27, was kidnapped during the attack on the Nova festival and was killed by Hamas in captivity, her family said. She is the last female hostage being held.
Inbar Hayman, believed to be dead, is the last woman being held by Hamas [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Itay Chen, 19, was an Israeli-American who was serving as a soldier in the IDF on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed during Hamas’s attack on Nahal Oz base and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage.
Amiram Cooper, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz. The IDF said in June 2024 that he had been killed along with three other hostages – Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger – months earlier in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The IDF said it had been operating in the area at the time but did not confirm how they were killed. Hamas had earlier claimed they were killed by an IDF strike.
Oz Daniel, 19, was a sergeant in the IDF’s 7th Armoured Brigade and was killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. His body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.
Ronen Engel, 54, was kidnapped from Nir Oz on 7 October along with his wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters, Mika and Yuval. Karina, Mika and Yuval were released during the ceasefire in November 2023. The following month, the IDF confirmed that Ronen has been killed in captivity.
Meny Godard, 73, was killed during the attack on Be’eri with his wife, Ayelet, and his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, his family said in February 2024. In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny’s remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest.
Meny Godard’s body was taken into Gaza after Hamas killed him alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Ran Gvili, 24, was a sergeant in the Israel Police who was killed while fighting Hamas-led gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim on 7 October. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.
Tal Haimi, 41, was part of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team and was killed during the attack there on 7 October. The father-of-four’s body was taken to Gaza, where it is still being held.
Asaf Hamami, 41, was a colonel in the IDF and commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade. He was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October and his body is being held in Gaza, according to the IDF.
Guy Illouz, 26, was shot twice during the attack on the Nova festival and died of his wounds after being taken hostage, his family said. Released hostages are said to have confirmed his death.
Guy Illouz died in captivity as a result of injuries sustained in the attack on the Nova festival [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Eitan Levi, 53, was a taxi driver who was killed by Hamas gunmen on a road close to the Gaza perimeter on 7 October. His body was then taken to Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and kicking it.
Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was killed by Hamas fighters in Nir Oz on 7 October, the IDF confirmed in December 2023. His body is being held in Gaza.
Joshua Mollel, 21, was a Tanzanian student who was undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked on 7 October. The Tanzanian government confirmed in December 2023 that he was killed that day and that his body was being held by Hamas.
Omer Neutra, 21, an Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, was serving as an IDF tank commander near Gaza when Hamas attacked on 7 October. The IDF later said he was killed that day and his body taken to Gaza.
Daniel Peretz, 22, was a captain in the IDF’s 7th Armoured Brigade. Originally from South Africa, he was killed in an attack on his tank near Nahal Oz on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said.
Dror Or, 48, and his wife, Yonat, were killed in the attack on Be’eri, the kibbutz confirmed in February 2024. Two of his three children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage and were released as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal. Dror’s body is being held in Gaza.
Dror Or was killed alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]
Suthisak Rintalak, 43, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, Thailand’s foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Lior Rudaeff, 61, was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak from attack on 7 October, the kibbutz said. His body is being held as a hostage.
Yossi Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Be’eri along with his brother, Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that the father-of-three had been killed in captivity in Gaza. The following month, the IDF said an investigation had found that he was likely to have been killed when a building collapsed following an Israeli strike on another building nearby. His body is being held by Hamas. Eli, who was released in February 2025, told the BBC last week how important it was for the family to have a funeral and closure.
Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz on 7 October. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him saying he felt unwell. The following month his kibbutz said he had died in captivity.
Hadar Goldin, 23, was a lieutenant in the IDF’s Givati Brigade who was killed in combat in Gaza in 2014. His body has been held hostage by Hamas since then.
[ad_2]
-
Hamas releases first group of 7 hostages to Red Cross in Gaza, Israel says | Special Report
[ad_1]
[ad_2]
Hamas releases first group of 7 hostages to Red Cross in Gaza, Israel says | Special Report – CBS News
Watch CBS News
Source link -
First Seven Israeli Hostages Handed to Red Cross
[ad_1]
The first seven Israeli hostages captured by Hamas on October 7, 2023, have been handed over by Hamas to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as part of a deal aimed at ending the Gaza war, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing the Israeli government.
The release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages, followed by the handover of bodies of the remaining 28 dead hostages, is the first step of a peace plan brokered by President Donald Trump aimed at finally ending the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas after two years of fighting.
There was no immediate word on the condition of the seven.
Twenty living hostages are being handed back back by Hamas to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and then on to Israeli authorities, at three points on the border with Gaza, Israeli media reported. They will immediately be taken for medical checks.
Several thousand people gathered in central Tel Aviv, at a place known as Hostages Square, cheered the news of the handover.
Hamas took about 250 hostages and killed some 1,200 people in October 2023. Over the past two years, Hamas released 148 hostages, eight of whom were dead, according to the AP.
Since October 2023, Israel’s ground and air offensives in Gaza have displaced more than 2 million people and killed more than 67,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The deal brokered by Trump will see the remaining hostages – dead or alive – released back into Israel as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) partially withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
The plan marks the most substantial effort yet toward a lasting agreement, after earlier deals yielded only temporary cease-fires. Trump has been applauded by Israelis and Palestinians, as well as world leaders, for his efforts.
Trump will arrive in Israel on Monday and he is due to meet families of hostages and address the Knesset, or parliament.
He then travels to Egypt, where he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi will oversee a meeting in the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh with leaders from more than 20 countries on peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East.
Representatives of the two protagonists – Israel and Hamas – are not expected to be at the gathering in Egypt.
[ad_2]
-
Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza
[ad_1]
Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday, the first to be released as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.There was no immediate information on their condition. Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.Video above: Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza as a ceasefire holdsFamilies and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis were watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.The ceasefire, which began noon Friday (0900 GMT), is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. The war in Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, local health officials there say.Israelis on Monday prepared to welcome home the last 20 living hostages from devastated Gaza and mourn the return of the dead, in the key exchange of the breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war.Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.Living hostages expected firstHamas released a list early Monday morning of the 20 living hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire.Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages’ release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.“It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.Video below: President Trump to visit Middle East amid U.S.-mediated ceasefireThe hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas 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.Israel expects the living hostages to be released together Monday. They will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families.It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. 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.The 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.While Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.Red Cross vehicles were seen driving in both Gaza and Israel early Monday.Trump in Israel and EgyptTrump was first visiting Israel, where a White House schedule 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 asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders.Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role in postwar Gaza for Abbas, though the U.S. plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.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 Gaza’s border with Israel.Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.The plan 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.‘Much of Gaza is a wasteland’The United Nations has said Israel so far has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid to enter Gaza, which was besieged after Israel ended the previous ceasefire in March.The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove rubble.Two years of warThe war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.Video below: Vigil held for Israeli hostages in Northwest BaltimoreIn 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 deaths 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 will 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 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.Federman reported from Truro, Massachusetts. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
CAIRO, Cairo Governorate —Hamas released seven hostages into the custody of the Red Cross on Monday, the first to be released as part of a breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war between Israel and Hamas in the devastated Gaza Strip.
There was no immediate information on their condition. Hamas has said 20 living hostages will be exchanged for over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Video above: Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza as a ceasefire holds
Families and friends of hostages broke out into wild cheers as Israeli television channels announced that the hostages were in the hands of the Red Cross. Tens of thousands of Israelis were watching the transfers at public screenings across the country, with a major event being held in Tel Aviv.
Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
The ceasefire, which began noon Friday (0900 GMT), is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. The war in Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, local health officials there say.
Israelis on Monday prepared to welcome home the last 20 living hostages from devastated Gaza and mourn the return of the dead, in the key exchange of the breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war.
Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
Living hostages expected first
Hamas released a list early Monday morning of the 20 living hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire.
Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages’ release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.
“It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.
Video below: President Trump to visit Middle East amid U.S.-mediated ceasefire
The hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas 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.
Israel expects the living hostages to be released together Monday. They will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families.
It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. 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.
The 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.
While Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.
Red Cross vehicles were seen driving in both Gaza and Israel early Monday.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump was first visiting Israel, where a White House schedule 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 asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.
Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role in postwar Gaza for Abbas, though the U.S. plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
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 Gaza’s border with Israel.
Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan 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.
‘Much of Gaza is a wasteland’
The United Nations has said Israel so far has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid to enter Gaza, which was besieged after Israel ended the previous ceasefire in March.
The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.
“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove rubble.
Two years of war
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Video below: Vigil held for Israeli hostages in Northwest Baltimore
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 deaths 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 will 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 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Federman reported from Truro, Massachusetts. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
-
Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza
[ad_1]
Hamas on Monday published a list of over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said will be released in the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire. The release comes after the militant group offered a list of the 20 living hostages it would release as part of the deal.The International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases.Video above: Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza as a ceasefire holdsThe ceasefire, which began noon Friday (0900 GMT), is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. The war in Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, local health officials there say.Israelis on Monday prepared to welcome home the last 20 living hostages from devastated Gaza and mourn the return of the dead, in the key exchange of the breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war.Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.Living hostages expected firstHamas released a list early Monday morning of the 20 living hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire.Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages’ release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.“It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.Video below: President Trump to visit Middle East amid U.S.-mediated ceasefireThe hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas 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.Israel expects the living hostages to be released together Monday. They will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families.It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. 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.The 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.While Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.Red Cross vehicles were seen driving in both Gaza and Israel early Monday.Trump in Israel and EgyptTrump was first visiting Israel, where a White House schedule 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 asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders.Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role in postwar Gaza for Abbas, though the U.S. plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.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 Gaza’s border with Israel.Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.The plan 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.‘Much of Gaza is a wasteland’The United Nations has said Israel so far has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid to enter Gaza, which was besieged after Israel ended the previous ceasefire in March.The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove rubble.Two years of warThe war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.Video below: Vigil held for Israeli hostages in Northwest BaltimoreIn 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 deaths 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 will 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 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.Federman reported from Truro, Massachusetts. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
CAIRO, Cairo Governorate —Hamas on Monday published a list of over 1,900 Palestinian prisoners it said will be released in the Israel-Hamas war ceasefire. The release comes after the militant group offered a list of the 20 living hostages it would release as part of the deal.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is expected to oversee the releases.
Video above: Israel prepares to welcome the last living hostages from Gaza as a ceasefire holds
The ceasefire, which began noon Friday (0900 GMT), is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. The war in Gaza has killed over 67,000 Palestinians, local health officials there say.
Israelis on Monday prepared to welcome home the last 20 living hostages from devastated Gaza and mourn the return of the dead, in the key exchange of the breakthrough ceasefire after two years of war.
Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.
While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.
Living hostages expected first
Hamas released a list early Monday morning of the 20 living hostages it will free as part of the ceasefire.
Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages’ release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.
“It’s very exciting,” said Meir Kaller, who spent a sleepless night there.
Video below: President Trump to visit Middle East amid U.S.-mediated ceasefire
The hostages’ return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas 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.
Israel expects the living hostages to be released together Monday. They will be handed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and then to the Israeli military, which will take them to the Reim military base to be reunited with families.
It is unlikely that the remains of up to 28 other hostages will be returned at the same time. 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.
The 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.
While Israel considers the prisoners to be terrorists, Palestinians view them as freedom fighters against Israeli occupation. Israel has warned Palestinians in the West Bank against celebrating after people are released, according to a prisoner’s family and a Palestinian official familiar with the plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retribution.
Red Cross vehicles were seen driving in both Gaza and Israel early Monday.
Trump in Israel and Egypt
Trump was first visiting Israel, where a White House schedule 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 asserted to reporters as he departed, adding he thought the ceasefire would hold.
Trump will continue to Egypt, where President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s office said he will co-chair a “peace summit” Monday with regional and international leaders.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, will attend, a judge and adviser to Abbas, Mahmoud al-Habbash, told The Associated Press. Netanyahu has rejected any role in postwar Gaza for Abbas, though the U.S. plan leaves the possibility open if his Palestinian Authority undergoes reforms. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007.
Other key questions in the ceasefire deal have yet to be resolved, including the future governance of Gaza and who will pay for a billion-dollar reconstruction process. Israel wants to ensure that the weakened Hamas disarms, and Netanyahu has warned Israel could do it “the hard way.” Hamas refuses to disarm and wants to ensure Israel pulls its troops completely out of Gaza.
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 Gaza’s border with Israel.
Under the U.S. plan, an international body will govern Gaza, overseeing Palestinian technocrats running day-to-day affairs. Hamas has said Gaza’s government should be worked out among Palestinians.
The plan 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.
‘Much of Gaza is a wasteland’
The United Nations has said Israel so far has approved 190,000 metric tons of aid to enter Gaza, which was besieged after Israel ended the previous ceasefire in March.
The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza said the amount of aid entering was expected to increase Sunday to around 600 trucks per day, as stipulated in the agreement.
“Much of Gaza is a wasteland,” U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told the AP on Sunday. He said the U.N. has a plan for the next two months to restore basic medical and other services, bring in thousands of tons of food and fuel and remove rubble.
Two years of war
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Video below: Vigil held for Israeli hostages in Northwest Baltimore
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 deaths 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 will 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 2 million residents. It has also triggered other conflicts in the region, sparked worldwide protests and led to allegations of genocide that Israel denies.
Federman reported from Truro, Massachusetts. Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Jalal Bwaitel in Ramallah, West Bank, and Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
-
Live updates: Israeli hostages set to be released by Hamas as Gaza ceasefire remains in effect
[ad_1]
Egyptian foreign minister says he is “confident” first phase of Gaza peace plan will be implemented
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Sunday that Egypt is “confident that the first phase of the Trump peace plan will be implemented” and will be honored by all parties involved.
“We are very hopeful that the first phase will be completed, in all honesty, from the two parties, and we are in full contact with the Palestinians, with the Hamas,” Abdelatty told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
Abdelatty confirmed that Egypt will be sending troops to Gaza “within specific parameters.” He also said that Egypt supports the deployment of international troops into Gaza for security and stabilization.
“We are confident, though we have to draw lessons from the past, that without solving the Palestinian cause, which is the core of the conflict in the region, without respecting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to have their own statehood, you know, there is no peace and stability in the region,” Abdelatty said.
Abdelatty indicated that President Trump’s peace plan referred to Palestinian statehood, although the final version of the plan is unclear on Palestinian statehood.
Watch Margaret Brennan’s full interview with Abdelatty here.
Family of Israeli hostage “in shock” over imminent release
Alana Zeitchik, a relative of Israeli hostage David Cunio, said she is “nervous” about the condition he will be in when he is freed from captivity.
Cunio’s wife, Sharon Aloni Cunio, and his twin daughters were held captive by Hamas and released in November 2023.
Alexi Rosenfeld / Getty Images / ALEXI ROSENFELN
Zeitchik said Cunio’s wife received guidance on how to tell her daughters that their father is coming home and that they were “in shock” after hearing the news.
Zeitchik told The Associated Press: “We won’t really be able to exhale and have a sigh of relief until he is back on Israeli soil.”
Thousands of Palestinians return home amid ceasefire
Tens of thousands of Palestinians began their trek back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip over the weekend after the ceasefire deal went into effect.
A steady stream of people, many on foot, crammed onto a coastal road in the central Gaza Strip, heading north to see what might remain of their homes. It was a repeat of emotional scenes from an earlier ceasefire in January.
Khames Alrefi/Anadolu via Getty Images
Palestinians expressed relief that the war may end, though they are tempered with concerns about the future and lingering pain from the staggering death and destruction.
“There wasn’t much joy, but the ceasefire somewhat eased the pain of death and bloodshed, and the pain of our loved ones and brothers who suffered in the war,” Jamal Mesbah, who was displaced from the north, told the AP.
The destruction they find this time will be even greater, after Israel waged a new offensive in Gaza City, in the north, in recent weeks.
—CBS/AP
[ad_2]
