Israel
Community members stand in solidarity with the hostages at a vigil in Squirrel Hill (Photo by Sandy Zell)
Israel at war
Local community members express cautious optimism over hostage deal
By Toby Tabachnick
“It’s what everybody wished for, just to see those moms hugging their daughters.”
US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025. (Jim WATSON / POOL / AFP)
Israel at warTrump says he is ‘not confident’ about Gaza ceasefire lasting
By Ben Sales
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (left) is seen with the head of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, in southern Gaza's Rafah, June 23, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
Israel at warTaking responsibility for Oct. 7 failures, IDF chief and head of Southern Command resign
By Emanuel Fabian
Rep. Summer Lee (Photo courtesy of summerlee.house.gov)
Israel at warSummer Lee calls for arms embargo against Israel, ignores Israeli suffering, in social media post about the cease-fire
By Toby Tabachnick
Community members stand in solidarity with the hostages at a vigil in Squirrel Hill (Photo by Sandy Zell)
January 21, 2025, 1:00 pm
Local community members express cautious optimism over hostage deal
“It’s what everybody wished for, just to see those moms hugging their daughters."
By Toby Tabachnick
US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025. (Jim WATSON / POOL / AFP)
January 21, 2025, 11:28 am
Trump says he is ‘not confident’ about Gaza ceasefire lasting
He also discussed Gaza, much of which has been destroyed during the war, in real-estate terms.
By Ben Sales
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (left) is seen with the head of the Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, in southern Gaza's Rafah, June 23, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
January 21, 2025, 10:46 am
Taking responsibility for Oct. 7 failures, IDF chief and head of Southern Command resign
Chief of staff Halevi says he’ll quit on March 6, after first stage of ceasefire with Hamas; Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman doesn’t give exact date, says he’ll stay ‘as long as needed’
By Emanuel Fabian
Emily Damari (right) and her mother, Mandy, hold a video call with family members after her return from Hamas captivity, January 19, 2025. (IDF)
January 20, 2025, 10:31 am
Beaming, laughing, weeping, 3 freed hostages finally reunite with loved ones
UK-Israeli Emily Damari reveals she lost 2 fingers on Oct. 7; Romi Gonen thanks her community in voice message; Doron Steinbrecher’s family thanks public in name of ‘our heroic Dodo’
By Emanuel Fabian, Amy Spiro, Shoshanna Solomon and ToI Staff
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina, Nov. 4, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
January 19, 2025, 2:34 pm
Trump, hailing release of hostages, signals that he is committed to ceasefire
His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is reportedly considering a trip to Gaza.
By Ben Sales
US President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with the German chancellor in Berlin, on October 18, 2024. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP) (Photo by TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images)
January 19, 2025, 2:26 pm
Joe Biden says ‘the guns in Gaza have gone silent,’ predicts Hamas will not regain power
Biden defended his support for Israel and said the hostage release and ceasefire were due to ‘pressure Israel built on Hamas’ with U.S. support.
By Ben Sales
From left: Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher (Courtesy)
January 19, 2025, 1:04 pm
Hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher return to Israel after 471 days
Masked Hamas gunmen hand women over to Red Cross in midst of raucous crowds in Gaza City; women meet their mothers at IDF facility near Gaza, before transfer to hospital
By Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff
Rep. Summer Lee (Photo courtesy of summerlee.house.gov)
January 19, 2025, 9:34 am
Summer Lee calls for arms embargo against Israel, ignores Israeli suffering, in social media post about the cease-fire
Lee called for a cease-fire just nine days after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel
By Toby Tabachnick
The security cabinet meets in Jerusalem on January 17, 2025 to discuss the ceasefire-hostage release deal. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)
January 17, 2025, 12:33 pm
Security cabinet approves hostage-ceasefire deal; full cabinet meets to review, vote on it
First hostages to be freed Sunday afternoon; Smotrich said to agree to stay in coalition; relatives of hostages not set for release in 1st phase urge public support for next stage
By Amy Spiro, Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff
The 33 houstages set to be returned in phase one of the Gaza ceasefire deal. Row 1 (L-R): Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Arbel Yehud, Doron Steinbrecher, Ariel Bibas, Kfir Bibas, Shiri Bibas; Row 2: Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Agam Berger, Danielle Gilboa, Naama Levy, Ohad Ben-Ami, Gadi Moshe Moses; Row 3: Keith Siegel, Ofer Calderon, Eli Sharabi, Itzik Elgarat, Shlomo Mansour, Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshitz; Row 4: Tsahi Idan, Hisham al-Sayed, Yarden Bibas, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Yair Horn, Omer Wenkert, Sasha Trufanov; Row 5: Eliya Cohen, Or Levy, Avera Mengistu, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov (all photos courtesy)
January 17, 2025, 9:01 am
These are the 33 hostages set to be returned in phase one of the Gaza ceasefire
Families of the captives have been notified, though it is not yet known who among the 33 is alive and who is not
By ToI Staff and Agencies
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri attend a Shas Party faction meeting at the Knesset, Jan. 23, 2023. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90 via JNS)
January 16, 2025, 1:55 pm
Deri: Israel-Hamas deal back on track
"A few minutes ago, I received the final word that all obstacles have been overcome," the former War Cabinet observer said.
By JNS
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. Rubio, a three-term Senator and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, has broad bipartisan support from his Senate colleagues. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
January 16, 2025, 12:57 pm
Marco Rubio says US should revoke visas for ‘a supporter of Hamas’
The hearing was interrupted by news of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.
By Andrew Lapin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center), Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (left) and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 1, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
January 16, 2025, 8:41 am
Israel holds off on approving hostage deal, accusing Hamas of reneging on details
Cabinet meeting to vote on agreement delayed; Prime Minister’s Office says dispute hinges on identities of Palestinian security prisoners to be freed; Hamas denies backtracking
By Amy Spiro
Hostage Farhan al-Qadi meets with the commander of the 162nd Division, Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen, moments after being rescued from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, August 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
January 15, 2025, 5:16 pm
World leaders welcome hostage-ceasefire deal, express hope it will endure
Biden and Trump both fete accomplishment, as Europe calls for a path toward long-term solution
By ToI Staff
Keren Munder, center, a former Hamas hostage, at a rally in Central Park, March 10, 2024. (Luke Tress)
January 15, 2025, 2:08 pm
Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire deal after 15 months of war
President-elect Donald Trump, who pressed for an end to the war, was the first world leader to confirm a deal.
By Ben Sales
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