News
2025
U/A 16+
As part of the ongoing hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, three Israelis, including two women and an 80-year-old man have been released. The list of the three hostages released by Qatar and Egypt included: two civilians Arbel Yehoud and Gadi Moses including Agam Berger, a soldier was held by Hamas. The 20-year-old soldier was taken on stage by armed militants before she was handed to the Red Cross. There were cheers among the small crowd gathered here in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square as Agam Berger was handed over. Agam is the last member of an all-female unarmed military unit, to remain in Gaza. Seven women from the unit, tasked with observing Gaza on surveillance footage, were taken hostage from the Nahal Oz military base. One was killed in Gaza, another rescued, and four released under the ceasefire deal.Agam's family said, they were "overjoyed and moved" by the return of the four other female soldiers on Saturday, while they continued to "eagerly await embracing Agam".As part of the agreement, Thai nationals have also been released. A number of foreign workers were taken captive along with dozens of Israeli civilians and soldiers during Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that set off the war in Gaza.In fact Thursday’s release wasn’t originally scheduled but came as a result of a standoff between Israel and Hamas over the identities of the hostages released over the weekend. Israel had demanded that Yehoud, a civilian, be part of that group and when she wasn't freed, Israel held up the movement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians looking to return to what is left of their homes in the war-battered north of Gaza. International mediation efforts brought about today’s additional release clearing the way for Palestinians to move north. Another release is slated for Saturday, which Netanyahu's office said would free male hostages. Dozens of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails are set to be freed both Thursday and Saturday.The war in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children according to Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their count. The fighting has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displacing some 90% of its 2.3 million population, often multiple times.Show more