Tag: Israel War Hamas

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – Hamas released the final 20 living hostages on Monday, according to the Israeli military as part of a breakthrough ceasefire following two years of war in the devastated Gaza Strip.

President Donald Trump spoke to Israeli lawmakers following the news. He said that after two years of war with Hamas and clashes involving Hezbollah and Iran, Israel had achieved all it could militarily and should now focus on securing peace in the Middle East.

Hostages freed in truce

Although the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, President Trump is pushing to capitalize on the moment and pursue long-sought peace in the region.

“Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment everything began to change,” President Trump told the Knesset.

Trump also used the moment to settle political scores and thank his supporters, taking aim at Democratic predecessors while praising top donor Miriam Adelson, who was seated in the audience.

In an unexpected turn, President Trump urged Israel’s president to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him “one of the greatest” wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, though several hearings have been delayed amid the conflict with Hamas.

President Trump urged Israel to move beyond the conflict, saying the nation “has won all that they can by force of arms.”

“You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won,” Trump said. “Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”

Trump urges lasting peace

Trump pledged U.S. support to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated by the conflict, and urged Palestinians to “turn forever from the path of terror and violence.”

“After tremendous pain and death and hardship,” Trump said, “now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.”

Trump extended an unexpected gesture to Iran, where he ordered strikes on three nuclear sites during its brief war with Israel earlier this year, saying “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”

“We merely want to live in peace,” Trump said. “We don’t want any looming threats over our heads.”

Trump is scheduled to travel next to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen nations.

READ MORE: Knesset members removed during Trump’s speech to Israeli Parliament

SEATTLE – One year after Israeli forces shot and killed a University of Washington graduate in the West Bank, her family says they’re still fighting for answers.

“In the beginning, the first few days felt like weeks, and the first weeks felt like months, and time just really dragged on. But now that we’re at the one year mark, I mean, I can’t believe how quickly time has flown by,” said Ozden Bennett, sister of Ayesnur Eygi.

Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi ((International Solidarity Movement))

The backstory:

Eygi was at a protest in the West Bank against an illegal Israeli settlement on Sep. 6, 2024. Her family says she was there as an international observer to bare witness and protect the rights of Palestinians who were protesting.

“She believed in that justice, so much that she traveled to the West Bank and put her body on the line and she was killed for it, essentially,” Bennett told FOX 13.

Bennett says she’s almost in disbelief that even one year into her sister’s killing, they’re still at the exact same point they were at the day she was fatally shot.

“It’s really discouraging and disheartening,” Bennett said. “Knowing that, essentially, our push for justice and accountability rests on a few hands who so far have been unwilling to help our pursuit of justice and accountability for my sister.”

What’s next:

They’re calling for a U.S.-led investigation into what happened. This weekend, Ozden is in Washington D.C. to continue that call.

“Our trip to D.C. this time is really special, because we’re being joined by other families who are U.S. citizens, who have either also lost their loved ones. I don’t want to say the word loss, whose loved ones were killed by the Israeli military, just like our family has experienced,” she said.

Until they get the justice they’ve been fighting for, Ayesnur’s family honors her by remembering her for the person she was. And for Ozden, it’s the little things she says she took for granted that she misses the most.

“I miss her laugh the most I think,” she said. “And I’m really grateful that I can still very much hear it in my head, and I miss being able to just pick up the phone and call her when something reminds me of her.”

This past Saturday marked one year since Ayesnur was killed. Her husband was in Turkey, where she is buried to commemorate the day. There were also events and a park, including a 10-foot statue that was build to honor the 26-year-old.

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