All articles tagged with #hostages
Israeli officials say longtime Hamas commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who helped plan the Oct. 7 attacks and held Israeli hostages, was killed in a precise strike in Gaza City; his death was confirmed by his family and followed by a funeral in Gaza City as accompanying strikes in Gaza caused casualties.
Israeli air forces reportedly killed Hamas military chief Izz ad-Din al-Haddad in Gaza after an intelligence-led operation; Haddad was a longtime Hamas commander and the captor of former hostages Liri Albag and Emily Damari. Netanyahu and Katz said initial indications point to Haddad’s elimination, though the IDF had not officially confirmed, and the operation involved a deception plan to keep Hamas on alert as Israel pursues those involved in October 7.
An Israeli Civil Commission report describes the Oct 7, 2023 attacks as the ‘weaponization of sexual violence,’ detailing systematic rape, assault and torture by Hamas and allied groups against civilians and hostages to maximize suffering. Based on 430 interviews, 10,000+ photos, and other records, the 300-page finding says these acts constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocidal acts, and it aims to preserve history and aid prosecutions; about 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken.
Armed robbers took multiple hostages at a bank in Sinzig, western Germany, with police surrounding the scene as several hostage-takers and at least one captive are believed to be inside the bank vault. Authorities said there is no danger to people outside the cordon and are withholding further details for tactical reasons.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin details the harrowing 11-month captivity of her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin after he was abducted at the Nova festival during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, his death in tunnels beneath Gaza, and how her grief became the driving force behind her memoir, When We See You Again, a testament to hope amid loss.
A gunman opened fire in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district, killing five and wounding several before police killed him; he had taken hostages, four of whom were rescued, and investigators are examining the circumstances and motive.
A gunman opened fire in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district, killing at least five and injuring about 15, including a child. He briefly took four people hostage in a nearby supermarket before police killed him and freed the hostages. A fire broke out in the attacker’s apartment, with unconfirmed reports of an explosive device; the shooter has been identified as a 58-year-old man from Moscow.
Armed robbers seized a Crédit Agricole branch in Naples, taking 25 people hostage; after negotiations and a police assault, the suspects escaped through a tunnel, with no serious injuries reported and loot thought to be in safety deposit boxes rather than cash.
The IDF, with Shin Bet, killed several Hamas terrorists linked to the October 7 hostage-taking and to planned attacks in central Gaza during a raid near the Yellow Line, including Ali Sami Mohammad Shakra, a Nukhba commander involved in kidnapping victims, and Mohammad Mabhouh and Mohammad Fuad Jaser Sayyid who were holding hostages. More Nukhba militants were killed in weekend clashes as Israel maintains defense lines and presses ahead with ceasefire terms amid US-led peace efforts.
Ex-hostage Arbel Yehoud says she was sexually assaulted almost daily during captivity in Gaza and even considered ending her life; she and partner Ariel Cunio endured long separations, exchanged letters via captors, and were released in 2025. They’ve since reunited and aim to rebuild a modest life together, though the trauma remains a continuing challenge.
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch describes Hamas’s plan to use hostages as long-term leverage, his role coordinating captives and missing people, and the high-stakes rescue efforts and negotiations around the Gaza crisis, including the recovery of Ran Gvili’s remains. He argues several rescue attempts were halted to protect others, notes the US, Egypt, and Qatar’s mediation, and calls for a standing national framework and a permanent hostage-coordinator to prevent a repeat turn of events.
Israel returned 15 Palestinian bodies to Gaza, the last exchange in the first phase of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas after recovering the last Israeli hostage; the Red Cross helped facilitate the handover, and about 100 of the remains have been identified. The ceasefire’s next phase will involve deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and rebuilding Gaza, while fighting persists and the Rafah crossing is expected to reopen with limited movement.
A Tel Aviv countdown clock counting the days since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack will be switched off after the discovery of the last remaining hostage’s body in Gaza, Ran Gvili. The moment is framed as national closure and healing, coinciding with updates to a US-backed plan that includes reopening Gaza’s Rafah border and advancing the war’s endgame, while ceasefire violations and ongoing casualties continue in the region.
Trump told Axios that Hamas helped locate the remains of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, and urged the group to disarm as phase one of his peace plan concludes with all hostages returned. The recovery clears the way for phase two—Gaza demilitarization and a new security force—while U.S. officials say Hamas cooperated in the search. A limited reopening of the Rafah crossing is planned, and negotiations on disarmament and amnesty are expected soon, though skepticism about Hamas’ willingness to disarm persists and rebuilding hinges on demilitarization.
Israel says it recovered the remains of Ran Gvili, the last hostage whose remains were believed to be in Gaza, marking the end of Israeli hostages in Gaza since 2014. Forensic identification allowed burial, and Netanyahu called it an outstanding accomplishment, while Hamas framed it as proof of commitment to the ceasefire’s first phase. The Rafah crossing was to reopen for pedestrians after the search, with EU oversight and conditions tied to the ceasefire terms.