They became a potent symbol of Israel’s hostage crisis after video from the Hamas-led 2023 attack showed Palestinian militants leading away a distraught mother clutching her two small red-haired sons. Another video showed the father of the same family being spirited away to Gaza on a motorcycle, his head bloodied. On Friday, Hamas said the … Read more
The Trump administration is considering sending 24,000 assault rifles to Israel that had been held up at the State Department on the orders of Antony J. Blinken, the former secretary of state, a U.S. official said. Mr. Blinken had asked the State Department not to move forward with fulfilling Israel’s request, which comprises three tranches … Read more
Gaza’s border with Egypt is reopening to allow sick and wounded Palestinians to leave the enclave, officials said Friday, after more than eight months during which many were trapped there. Reopening the crossing at Rafah, which has long been the enclave’s lifeline to the outside world, is a key stipulation of the cease-fire deal between … Read more
The group representing the families of Israeli hostages confirmed Friday the names of three more captives whom Hamas is expected to hand over on Saturday, and there’s a dual U.S.-Israeli national among them. Keith Seigel, 65, originally from North Carolina, moved to Israel four decades ago and was among those seized during Hamas’ Oct. 7, … Read more
Hamas on Friday announced the names of three hostages — including an American citizen — whom it said it would release this weekend as part of its cease-fire with Israel to end the war in Gaza, an agreement that has now held for nearly two weeks. Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the group’s armed wing, … Read more
Hamas releases 8 hostages in chaotic hand-over with Israel – CBS News Watch CBS News Hamas has released eight more hostages as part of an ongoing ceasefire deal with Israel. CBS News reporter Haley Ott reports and Jon Alterman, senior vice president and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and … Read more
Israel and Hamas exchanged a new group of hostages and prisoners on Thursday in a handover that devolved into chaos as the armed militants struggled to control a chanting, jostling crowd of Palestinians trying to catch a glimpse of Israelis held captive during 15 months of war. Hamas released a total of eight Israeli and … Read more
An undated handout photo said to be of Muhammad Deif, the Hamas military leader.Credit…via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Muhammad Deif, the shadowy leader of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza and one of the chief architects of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that ignited a war, was confirmed by Hamas on Thursday to … Read more
Hamas released eight hostages, including three Israelis and five Thais, on Thursday as part of a hostage-for-prisoner exchange, more than a year after they were taken captive during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Agam Berger, an Israeli army soldier, was released first in a highly choreographed ceremony in northern Gaza. … Read more
Vilas Thanna, the father of Pongsak Thanna, a Thai fruit farmhand who was held hostage in Gaza, could barely get the words out as he digested the news of his son’s release after 15 months of captivity. “When we are happy, we cry,” he said. “When we are sad, we also cry. But these are … Read more