Hostages in Gaza

Hostage's mother:

This is how we exposed UNRWA's hypocrisy to the world

Ayelet Samerano tells about the moment she stood up to the UNRWA CEO and demanded answers in front of hundreds: 'You kidnapped my son. Where is he?'

In honor of Ariel Bibas:

Knesset building illuminated in orange

Knesset building illuminated in orange to match the hair color of five-year-old who is marking his birthday in Hamas captivity.

Thousands mark Ariel Bibas' 5th birthday in Tel Aviv

Grandmother of boy who turns 5 today after 10 months in Hamas captivity says 'The world around us continues to turn, but time seems to have frozen without you. You've grown a year older, but there's no celebration.'

An apology to Ariel Bibas

I am sorry, Ariel, for the evil in this world that has forced you to celebrate your fifth birthday in Hamas captivity. Op-ed.

Sister of hostage lookout:

'We dream about Karina returning home; it gives us strength'

Sasha talks about the coping, hope, faith and calls for unity, as her sister Karina celebrates her birthday in Hamas captivity.

Report:

Majority of Hamas battalions still intact, some have rebuilt

Report claims the IDF has not sufficiently struck the battalions in the central Gaza Strip due to a fear of harming hostages being held by them.

Hostage's grandmother pens letter: Do you remember your birthday?

Pnina Bibas, grandmother of youngest hostages Ariel and Kfir Bibas, who are still held in Gaza, pens letter marking Ariel's fifth birthday: 'Time seems to have frozen without you. You've grown a year older, but there's no celebration.'

Ariel Bibas turns 5 tomorrow after 10 months in captivity

Bibas family releases video of previous birthday pictures of Ariel Bibas to highlight how he remains a hostage on his fifth birthday.

Netanyahu:

'I'm not making changes to the deal, Hamas is'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the government meeting regarding the negotiations for the deal and the Iranian threats of retaliation over the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.

Tel Aviv:

5 arrested, police ticket protesters for traffic violations

Thousands of people participated Saturday evening in a demonstration organized by the families of hostages at the Kirya base in Tel Aviv.

Watch:

New footage of hostage Eitan Levi being taken to Gaza

'We decided to share and release the video of his abduction. The proof that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza,' the family wrote.

'You are feeble'

Report: PM's discussion on hostage deal turned tense

TV report says the heads of the defense establishment said Netanyahu does not want a deal, and he fired back. Prime Minister's Office denies the report, says Netanyahu ordered the negotiating delegation to leave for Cairo to resume the talks.

Report:

Biden warned Netanyahu to stop escalating tensions

US officials tell Axios that President Biden privately demanded in his call with Netanyahu that he stop escalating tensions in the region and move immediately toward a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.

Mother confronts UNRWA head:

'UNRWA kidnapped my son, I want him back'

Ayelet Samerano, whose murdered son Yonatan was kidnapped to Gaza by an UNRWA worker on October 7th, confronted UNRWA Secretary-General Philippe Lazzarini during a celebration in Switzerland.

Biden:

'Elimination of Haniyeh didn't help ceasefire efforts'

US President says he had “a direct conversation” with Netanyahu and urged him to quickly reach a deal for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Blinken urges:

'Stop the escalatory actions, we need a ceasefire'

US Secretary of State urges all parties in the Middle East to make efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

Report:

Decision to kill Haniyeh made to remove obstacle to hostage deal

New report on assassination of Hamas leader in Tehran says the bomb used to kill him used AI technology, was detonated remotely by Mossad agents.

Pres. Herzog:

'Every second of these 300 days is a crime against humanity'

Israeli Pres. Isaac Herzog calls on world leaders to help bring hostages home: 'For 300 days our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandparents, have been languishing in the dungeons of Hamas in Gaza.'

Rescued hostage:

'Leaving Gaza was the happiest day in my life and the saddest'

Almog Meir Jan mourned those he lost while in captivity, including close friends and his father, who died just hours before he was rescued.

'You can still be saved'

Noa Argamani writes to her boyfriend, still a hostage in Gaza

Argamani, who was kidnapped with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, writes to him on her Instagram account, says she is missing him and hopes that he will be released.

IDF officials:

'Some of the hostages' bodies won't be recovered'

Officials in the IDF warn that the war will end with 'more Ron Arads' as some of the bodies of murdered hostages will remain missing.

Noa Argamani's welcome back to Israel

Rescued hostage Noa Argamani was greeted with cheers and songs at Ben Gurion Airport.

Christian students join hostage families at the US Capitol

Passages prepares hundreds of Christian students to face anti-Israel activity on their campuses for the coming academic year.

Report: These are Israel's four new conditions for ceasefire deal

Israel has set four new conditions for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, Al Akhbar report claims.

Former Shin Bet official:

'Hamas's actions prove it's in distress'

Former Coordinator for Captives and the Missing Yaron Bloom said that the report of videos showing the torture of hostages being sent to Minister Ben-Gvir is a 'manipulative report.'

Liora Argamani's medication given to sick haredi boy

After Liora Argamani passed away, her family gave her expensive medicines to Yisrael Sheinberg from Beitar Ilit, who is suffering from a malignant brain tumor.

Report:

Hamas sent videos of hostages undergoing torture to Min. Ben-Gvir

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir denied reports that the terrorist organization sent him videos showing the torture of Israeli hostages with demands to improve the conditions of jailed terrorists.

Freed hostage decribes abuse: 'They hurt me deliberately'

Maya Regev says that while she was treated for a gunshot wound to her leg in Gaza after being shot and kidnapeed from the Nova music festival, those treating her deliberately hurt her.

Ex-NBA player Eddie Curry 'adopts' Kfir Bibas

Eddie Curry, who played for the Knicks and won an NBA championship with the Heat campaigns for release of youngest hostage kidnapped on October 7.

Israel's updated proposal to the USA

Israel has delivered an updated Israeli ceasefire-prisoner swap proposal to American officials before its transfer to mediators.

IDF commander:

'This is where we found our murdered brothers and sisters'

Commanding Officer of IDF's 98th Division speaks from inside the tunnel from which the hostages were rescued, beneath the area previously designated as the humanitarian area. 'We will do all it takes to bring down Hamas, and all it takes to bring back our fellow people, from wherever they are.'

Talks on hostage release deal:

Israel to send negotiating team to Rome next week

Egyptian source confirms an Egyptian security delegation will participate in a meeting in Rome on Sunday. Hamas said to reject Israel's proposals before they were even submitted.

President Macron hosts President Herzog at Élysée Palace

President Herzog congratulated Macron on hosting the Olympics and emphasized that the games are an important platform from which to promote the issues of the ongoing war in Gaza.

Parents of hostage:

'This time needs to be different, and can be'

The parents of hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin say that their trip to Washington with Prime Minister Netanyahu was an encouraging step - but that encouragement is no longer enough.

After meeting with Netanyahu

White House: Biden expressed the need to finalize the deal

White House issues statement following Biden’s meeting with Netanyahu: Biden expressed the need to close the remaining gaps and reach a durable end to the war in Gaza.

Biden:

'I will do everything possible to bring every hostage home'

US President comments on his meeting with families of hostages with US citizenship who are held in Gaza: They've endured the unthinkable.

VP Harris:

'There’s a deal on the table, time for this war to end'

US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the press after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: I will always ensure that Israel is able to defend itself. It is time for this war to end in a way where Israel is secure, all the hostages are released, and the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends.

Hostages' families in the US:

'We got hope for progress on a deal'

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden meet families of hostages with US citizenship, who left the meeting encouraged.

Khan Yunis recovery op:

The terrorist who was photographed leading forces to the bodies

One of the photos published by the ISA from the operation to recover the bodies of five hostages shows an individual in an IDF uniform and handcuffs.

IDF Spokesman Hagari:

'Hamas exploited Humanitarian Area to hold hostages captive'

IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari discussed the joint IDF and ISA mission to recover the bodies of five Israelis that were being held by Hamas in Gaza.

65 ft. underground:

Watch: Bodies of hostages recovered from Gaza tunnel

IDF releases footage from operation in which the bodies of 5 hostages were recovered. The bodies were held in an area that had been designated as a humanitarian zone.

ISA reveals photos from operation to rescue hostages' bodies

ISA publishes photos from operation to rescue the bodies of Maya Goren, Oren Goldin, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, Sergeant Kiril Brodski, and Sergeant Major (Res.) Ravid Aryeh Katz from Hamas captivity in Gaza.

Soldier to be imprisoned for distributing videos from Gaza

A soldier who posted footage from the military vehicle that transported the bodies of the hostages recovered from Gaza was disciplined because the video 'damaged the IDF and the families of the hostages.'

In operation in Khan Yunis:

IDF recovers bodies of five hostages

IDF recovers bodies of hostages Maya Goren, Oren Goldin, Staff Sergeant Tomer Ahimas, Sergeant Kiril Brodski, and Sergeant Major (Res.) Ravid Aryeh Katz, in a military operation in the Gaza Strip. They will be buried in Israel in the coming days.

'A complete lie':

Hamas blasts Netanyahu's speech to Congress

Hamas claims Netanyahu’s comment about intensified efforts to return the hostages is "a complete lie and misleading Israeli, American and international public opinion".

US official:

'Negotiations for hostage release deal in their closing stages'

Senior US official says a deal between Israel and Hamas is "closeable". Biden and Netanyahu to discuss the details during their meeting on Thursday.

Netanyahu to Congress:

'I promise, we will win'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers an address during a joint meeting of Congress.

Watch:

Hostages' families pray ahead of Netanyahu's address

Led by the bereaved father Itizik Bonzel, Family members of hostages, representatives of bereaved families, and rescued hostage Noa Argamani joined together in the Capitol for prayer and song.

Noa Argamani's moving post:

'Yossi, you were a hero, I'll work to bring your brother back'

Rescued hostage Noa Argamani eulogized fellow hostage Yossi Sharabi, who was held captive together with her and was killed, and promised to work to bring back his brother, Eli, from captivity.

American Hostage's father:

'We expect the Prime Minister and Biden to bring them home'

The fathers of hostages Omer Neutra and Edan Alexander spoke with Arutz Sheva from a rally in front of the US Capitol in Washington DC about the hope to see their sons return.

Released hostage Aviva Siegel:

'They torture everybody, all the time'

Released hostage Aviva Siegel, wife of Keith, still in Hamas captivity, calls for a hostage deal now: 'I survived the horrors, I know they are going through hell. I witnessed the violence and the sexual assaults.'

Before the US trip

The gift given to Netanyahu by kidnapped boy's grandfather

Eli Bibas gave Netanyahu, before his trip to the United States, a picture drawn by his grandson Ariel to give to Biden at their meeting.

'Seal the deal, give us hope'

Hostage families demonstrate outside Congress

In demonstration of solidarity and urgency, dozens of family members of Israeli hostages gather in front of the Capitol and call on Netanyahu to reach a deal to secure their return.

'Is there no limit to the lunacy?'

Netanyahu responds to attacks on Noa Argamani

At the start of his meeting with Christian leaders, PM comments on online attack against Noa Argamani and her father: I am appalled.

Hamas does not want deal?

Hostages Families Forum against PM's aide

Netanyahu's adviser told the hostages families that Hamas does not want a deal. Hostages and Missing Families Forum: 'That is not true.'

Bereaved father to US official:

'Stop pressuring Netanyahu, join the fight against Hamas'

Itzik Bonzel, whose son Amit fell in battle in Gaza, joined families of hostages and other bereaved families in a meeting with US Deputy Special Presidential Envoy For Hostage Affairs Dustin Stewart and called on the US not to withhold munitions from Israel.

Footage from Gaza:

Hostage Matan Zangauker led on motorcycle

Footage shows two Hamas terrorists leading Matan Zangauker, who was abducted on October 7th, on a motorcycle as Gazans cheer in the background.

Rescued hostage to PM:

'The moment that broke me in captivity'

At a meeting Netanyahu held in Washington with hostage families, rescued hostage Noa Argamani said that she broke down in captivity when PM said the war would last long.

Vitriolic media attack on Noa Argamani for joining PM delegation

Leftist journalists fume after Noa Argamani and her father join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's delegation to Washington. Rightwing anchor: 'Noa, ignore those lacking compassion.'

Netanyahu to hostages' families:

'The conditions are ripe for a hostage release deal'

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara meet representatives of the families of the hostages: The conditions to bring them back are ripe, for the simple reason that we are putting very, very strong pressure on Hamas.