The Times of Israel liveblogged Sunday’s events as they happened.
Hospital director says condition of released hostages allows focus to be reunion with families

Tel Hashomer Hospital Director Dr. Yael Frankel-Nir says that the physical condition of the released hostages is good enough to allow them to focus on reuniting with family members.
“Their condition allows us to focus on the important thing, which is reuniting with their families, and to postpone delving into medical issues for a few hours,” she says.
“We are closely accompanying them and their families,” she says.
Hamas issues propaganda video of hostage release
Hamas releases a propaganda video showing the release of hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher from captivity in the Gaza Strip earlier today.
The video shows Hamas operatives giving the hostages “gift bags” and “certificates” before they were freed. The bags reportedly included photos of them in captivity.
The footage shows Hamas taking the hostages to a meeting point at a central square in Gaza City accompanied by dozens of gunmen, singing and chanting, where hundreds of Palestinians gathered.
The three women were then handed over to the Red Cross.
In the video, a Red Cross representative is seen signing a document provided by the Hamas operatives, before the hostages are handed over.
???? #كتائب_القسام تنشر مشاهد من عملية تسليم الأسيرات الإسرائيليات الثلاث اليوم للصليب الأحمر في مدينة #غزة. pic.twitter.com/8T0LF4JWLu
— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) January 19, 2025
WATCH: Released hostages reunite with families amid tears and joy

The Prime Minister’s Office releases photos and video of the three freed former hostages meeting with their families at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan.
Emily Damari, wrapped in an Israeli flag, can be seen emotionally embracing her relatives.
Romi Gonen is wrapped in a group hug by her family members as she walks into a hospital room decorated with fairy lights.
Doron Steinbrecher weeps as she embraces her family members in the halls of the hospital.
The three women are expected to stay in the hospital for several days for evaluation and treatment following 471 days in Hamas captivity. They were reunited first with their mothers next to the Gaza border, then flew to the hospital via helicopter to meet the rest of their families.
Hamas gave released hostages ‘gift bags’ with mementos of time in captivity

The three hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip today were given “gift bags” by members of the terror group before they were handed over to the Red Cross.
According to Hebrew-language media reports, the bags included photos of them in Hamas captivity and a “certificate.”
A video released by the IDF shows former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher holding the gift bags when they were handed over to troops.
Lawmakers slam Arab MK for saying he’s ‘happy for release of the hostages and prisoners’

Hadash-Ta’al chair Ayman Odeh draws criticism from Israeli lawmakers across the political spectrum after saying he was “happy for the release of the hostages and prisoners” as part of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
“From here we must free both peoples from the yoke of occupation. We were all born free,” the longtime leader of the country’s main Arab political bloc posts on X.
The first phase of the three-phase hostage-ceasefire deal provides for a total of 33 captives to be released over 42 days in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including several serving multiple life sentences for deadly terror attacks and murder.
“Anyone who rejoiced over the release of child-murdering terrorists belongs in prison, not in the Knesset,” replies Culture Minister Miki Zohar.
“Comparing hostages who were snatched from their beds and held in harsh conditions to the scum of the earth…exposes the hypocrisy and disgustingness of those who make this sick comparison,” Likud MK Eliyahu Revivo posted on X.
Zelensky hails release of hostages: As Ukrainians, we know the pain of separation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hails the release of the first three Israeli hostages as a “deeply meaningful moment.”
“Seeing families reunited, and knowing the tears of relief and joy it brings, is something we can all connect with,” Zelensky tweets. “As Ukrainians, we know the pain of separation and hope of bringing loved ones back home.”
“The path to lasting peace and dignity for all people is still long and challenging, but we hope for further progress toward security, stability, and normal life in the entire Middle East,” he adds.
“Ukraine wishes for peace, justice, and reliable security guarantees for all nations, just as we continue to fight for them ourselves.”
Crowds cheer released hostages as they arrive at hospital

Hundreds of people line the roads at the Tel Hashomer hospital as the three released hostages are transported from the IDF helicopter into the building.
Crowds cheer and sing as the vans carrying Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher go past.
Avishag Gadot, 20, was there with a group of national servicewomen.
“I’m waiting to see them return home,” she says.
“There is so much excitement but also sadness for those who are not back yet and for the soldiers who have died.”
Patients from the floor above opened the window to look down.

When the ambulances reached the plaza at the entrance of the hospital there was a loud cheer. And the young women burst into song: Am Israel Chai – the people of Israel live.
The former hostages have now been taken into the hospital to be reunited with family members and checked by medical staff. They have their own rooms with facilities and will stay at the hospital for tests until needed.
Rights group reports 4 settler attacks on West Bank Palestinians
The Yesh Din rights group says four settler attacks on Palestinians have taken place this evening.
In one previously reported attack in Sinjil, two houses were torched along with four vehicles.
In Ein Sinya, settlers set a house on fire.
In Turmusaya, dozens of settlers hurled stones at civilians and damaged property.
On the West Bank’s main north-south highway Route 60, settlers are hurling stones at passing Palestinian vehicles, the group says.
“This is the message the Israeli government and Defense Minister Katz send when they seek to ‘strengthen and encourage’ the settlements: Settler violence against innocent Palestinians without a response from the security forces,” Yesh Din says in a statement.
⚡️ Settler gangs set fire to Palestinian vehicles in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah in the West Bank, and threw stones at Palestinians, injuring one. pic.twitter.com/wVIoA3mwLH
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) January 19, 2025
Last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz released all 16 Israeli Jews who were under administration detention due to their alleged involvement in attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Katz argued that it was better for settlers to be able to rejoice amid the hostage deal, rather than only the families of Palestinian terrorists slated for release.
The Shin Bet was not consulted in the move and warned that it could further destabilize the West Bank.
Thousands of Palestinians and dozens of Israeli Arabs remain under administration detention.
‘More to come’: Top Trump aide expresses ‘relief’ over 1st three hostages’ release

Responding to the release of the first three Israeli hostages, incoming US national security adviser Mike Waltz tweets that he is “relieved these three brave women are no longer suffering at the hands of Hamas terrorists in the tunnels below Gaza and are once again are with their families.”
“More to come,” Waltz adds.
Smotrich says he’s filled with joy at hostage release despite opposing deal

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweets that while he opposes the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal “with all of his heart,” he is still “filled with joy” over the return of each captive.
“I am very moved by the pictures of Romi, Doron and Emily. Serious people must make space for complexity,” tweets Smotrich, who voted against the deal but has decided to remain in the government in the meantime.
“It is my duty and mission, as someone who represents a large public that sent its sons to the battlefield in Gaza for the hostages and sacrificed the most precious thing to them in a way that is completely disproportionate to its size and who opposes the deal,” says Smotrich of the Religious Zionism sector.
“The eyes cry bitterly but the heart is happy,” Smotrich says.
Helicopter carrying released hostages arrives at Tel Hashomer hospital

Former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher — along with their mothers — have landed at Tel Hashomer Hospital in central Israel after being airlifted from an army facility on the Gaza border, the IDF says.
They will meet with the rest of their family members there and receive medical care.
“The IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and the health system are prepared to continue receiving additional hostages and are working to return all the hostages,” the military adds.
Two days into West Bank truce, Jenin terror groups open fire on PA forces
Clashes have renewed between Palestinian Authority security forces and terror groups in the Jenin refugee camp less than two days after a truce had been reached that was supposed to bring an end to violence in the northern West Bank city after over a month, Palestinian media report.
The clashes come as the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal is being implemented. The Gaza agreement is likely a precursor to further tensions between Hamas — whose members in Jenin are affiliated to the armed groups in the northern West Bank — and the PA, as they jockey for post-war control over the Strip.
Last month, the PA launched an unprecedented counter-terror raid in Jenin to demonstrate it can regain control over increasingly lawless Palestinian areas of the West Bank and can do the same in December.
On Friday, the PA reached a truce with the so-called Jenin Battalion in which the leaders of the latter terror group handed over their weapons in exchange for immunity and allowed the PA to enter the refugee camp to restore order there.
PA forces have been operating in Jenin since the weekend, working to defuse bombs. Tonight, armed groups reopened fire against them, Palestinian media reports.
تجدد الاشتباكات مع أجهزة أمن السلطة في مخيم جنين، بعد بيان مشترك لكتيبة جنين وكتائب القسام وكتائب الأقصى أعلنوا فيه أن السلطة نقضت الاتفاق pic.twitter.com/93wMCLdSM1
— Ultra Palestine – الترا فلسطين (@palestineultra) January 19, 2025
Settlers reportedly torch home in West Bank’s Sinjil; 86-year-old man inside rescued
While the hostage deal was being implemented in Gaza, a group of Israeli settlers raided the Palestinian village of Sinjil, torching a home and two vehicles, including one that was holding gas containers, which caused a major blast, Palestinian media reports.
Palestinian media reports that an 86-year-old man had been in the home that was torched but was rescued in time and is being rushed to the hospital for treatment.
En route to the hospital, his ambulance is reportedly held up at an Israeli military checkpoint.
There are also no reports of arrests.
مستوطنون يحرقون مركبة في هجوم على بلدة سنجل شمال رام الله pic.twitter.com/vML91Ns9Tw
— فضائية النجاح – An-Najah Nbc (@newsnajah) January 19, 2025
Doron Steinbrecher’s family gives thanks after ‘unbearable 471 days’
The family of Doron Steinbrecher’s publishes a statement giving thanks after she is released from captivity.
“After an unbearable 471 days, our beloved Dodo has finally returned to our arms. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported and accompanied us along this journey,” the statement says.
“A special thank you to the people of Israel for their warm embrace, unwavering support, and the strength they gave us during our darkest moments. We also extend our gratitude to President Trump for his significant involvement and support, which meant so much to us,” they say.
“Our heroic Dodo, who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, begins her rehabilitation journey today. We will continue to stand with all the families and do everything in our power until all of their loved ones return home.”
Government releases first pictures of released hostages reuniting with their mothers

The Israeli government releases the first images of Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari reuniting with their mothers after their return from Hamas captivity.
Doron can be seen embracing her mother, Simona Steinbrecher, Romi hugs her mother, Merav Leshem Gonen, and Emily and her mother, Mandy Damari, take part in a video call with other family members.
The three mothers waited for their daughters at a special IDF facility set up near the border with Gaza. Emily, Romi and Doron are now on their way via helicopter to a hospital for evaluation and treatment, where they will be reunited with the rest of their family members.



Helicopters bearing released hostages, mothers, take off for hospital

Former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, along with their mothers, are being taken by an Israeli Air Force helicopter to a hospital where they will meet the rest of their families and receive medical care, the military says.
Ben Gvir says he hopes to see rest of hostages return through military force
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir issues a statement welcoming home the three released Israeli hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, Doron Steinbrecher, after he voted against the agreement that secured their release.
“We are happy and excited about your return and await the return of the remaining hostages — through the use of [military] force, cutting off fuel [to Gaza] and stopping the flow of humanitarian aid [to the Strip] — not through surrender,” Ben Gvir tweets.
Iran court sentences pop singer Tataloo to death for insulting Prophet Muhammad

An Iranian court has sentenced popular singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to death on appeal after being convicted of blasphemy, local media say.
“The Supreme Court accepted the prosecutor’s objection” to a previous five-year jail term, and “the case was reopened, and this time the defendant was sentenced to death for insulting the prophet,” reformist newspaper Etemad reports online, referring to Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
Family of US-Israeli hostage holds rally on National Mall in DC as ceasefire starts
The family of one of the remaining American-Israeli hostages along with dozens of supporters are currently holding a rally on the National Mall in Washington in support of the hostage release and ceasefire deal that commenced today.
Participants thank US President-elect Donald Trump for his efforts to bring the deal over the finish line and call on him to make sure that the second and third phases of the deal are implemented, amid concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will order the resumption of fighting after the first phase is complete.
Addressing the rally, American-Israeli hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen’s father Yonatan hails the rare collaboration between the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration that helped finalize the deal.
עכשיו בוושינגטון: משפחות חטופים מודות לטראמפ וקוראות לו לדאוג להשלים את כל שלבי העסקה.
יונתן דקל חן, אביו של החטוף שגיא דקל חן: ״יש פה שיתוף פעולה נדיר בין הממשלים, מודים על המחויבות של הנשיא טראמפ, צריכים לוודא שכולם יחזרו הביתה״ pic.twitter.com/YeMtzfi93h— יונה לייבזון yuna leibzon (@YunaLeibzon) January 19, 2025
IDF releases footage of Red Cross handing hostages to troops
The IDF releases footage showing the moment the Red Cross handed over hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher to special forces in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF releases footage showing the moment the Red Cross handed over hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher to special forces in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/8Ht21aXRfM
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 19, 2025
Seeing hostages reunited with families ‘fills our hearts with hope’: EU chief

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen calls for the release of three women Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity to serve as a new chapter for Israelis and Palestinians.
“Romi Gonen, Emily Damari & Doron Steinbrecher are free. Others must follow,” von der Leyen writes on the X social media platform. “Seeing the hostages’ reunion with their families fills our hearts with hope. Let it be the start of a new chapter for Israel and the Palestinian people. The ceasefire must hold. Europe will support it.”
Smiling Emily Damari reunites with mother, holds up hand with two fingers missing after she was shot on Oct. 7

Images posted to social media show former hostage Emily Damari on a video call with her family after reuniting with her mother at an IDF facility near the Gaza border.
Damari and the other two hostages Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, released after 471 days in Hamas captivity, are undergoing initial medical assessments at the army facility, and they will soon be taken to a hospital.
The images show a bandage on Emily’s hand after she was wounded during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. Smiling, she holds up her bandaged hand as she waves.
According to Damari’s family, Emily lost two fingers after being shot by Hamas terrorists during the onslaught.
Emily is home ♥️ pic.twitter.com/JCMmKEAhKr
— Mandy Damari ???? (@DamariMandy) January 19, 2025
Starmer says release of a British-Israeli woman Emily Damari is ‘a wonderful news’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described the release of a British-Israeli woman along with two other hostages as “wonderful and long-overdue news.”
He also cautions that the world must not forget about those still in captivity by Hamas terrorists.
Emily Damari, 28, who has dual British and Israeli nationality, was one of the three female hostages freed today. Her mother, Mandy, releases a statement of thanks for supporters “who never stopped saying her name.”
“After 471 days Emily is finally home,” her mother says.
Starmer says despite the news, today “also represents another day of suffering for those who haven’t made it home yet.”
“While this ceasefire deal should be welcomed, we must not forget about those who remain in captivity under Hamas,” he says. “We must now see the remaining phases of the ceasefire deal implemented in full and on schedule, including the release of those remaining hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
IDF says it carried out airstrikes on Gaza before ceasefire went into effect
Before the ceasefire took effect at 11:15 a.m. this morning, the IDF says it launched airstrikes against several Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
The targets included armed Hamas operatives parading on pickup trucks and buildings used by the terror group, the military says.
The IDF also says it fired warning shots to disperse suspects approaching troops in southern Gaza.
Released hostages to be treated at Safra Children’s Hospital in Ramat Gan’s Sheba Medical Center

The three returning hostages will stay at the Safra Children’s Hospital at Ramat Gan’s Sheba Medical Center in the coming days and perhaps weeks.
They will be checked by a special medical staff and looked after by support personnel, the hospital says.
The hospital will provide them with fresh new clothes, toiletries, beauty care, and specially prepared meals as well.
The children’s hospital was chosen because it offers quiet accommodation and privacy.
Despite this, crowds of well-wishers gather outside.
“This is a joyful and fulfilling moment,” says Liah Lahat, whose 16-year-old daughter is a patient at the hospital. She is standing outside the cordoned-off press area.
“But it is joy mixed with sorrow,”
All of the children in the ward are very excited about the hostages’ return, she says. “My daughter has written and recorded songs for the hostages,” she says.
Biden says deal only reached due to military pressure on Hamas, Iran proxies

US President Joe Biden maintains that the deal was finally reached because of the US-backed Israeli military pressure on Hamas and Iran’s other proxies.
In his first remarks following the implementation of the deal’s first three hostage releases, the president addresses what he says was the criticism of his diplomatic approach from those who believed that it would lead to a wider regional war.
He says he heard his critics out but ultimately concluded that abandoning the course he was on — that saw largely backing the Israeli government — would not have led to a ceasefire and would have also resulted in the regional war that he says his critics feared.
Standing by his strategy, Biden says the Middle East is “fundamentally transformed” as a result, with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar now dead, the terror group severely weakened and its sponsors similarly decimated, including Iran and Hezbollah.
Biden asserts that while the US pursued diplomatic solutions, it also provided significant military support to Israel, which allowed the IDF to decapitate Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities.
“Israel’s campaign was so successful that Hezbollah did what it said what it would never do, and abandoned Hamas” by agreeing to a ceasefire with Israel in late November before one was reached in Gaza.
Lebanon is now ruled by a new prime minister and a president who support maintaining the country’s sovereignty, free from Hezbollah control, Biden says.
He reiterates that Iran is at its weakest state in decades and that the US helped Israel twice thwart missile attacks from Tehran over the past year.
Biden claims that the Palestinians now have a “credible path” to statehood, suggesting that this is the result of today’s ceasefire.
Still, Biden says a future in the Mideast where Israel is more integrated with its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, is now possible as a result of today’s hostage deal.
The outgoing president thanks his senior aide Brett McGurk for leading the hostage talks on behalf of the US.
“Now it falls on the next administration to implement this deal,” Biden says, noting that he was pleased that his team and Trump’s team “spoke as one” in the talks’ final days.
The deal was the result of Washington’s persistence, the support of its allies and “diplomacy backed by deterrence,” Biden says, urging Trump to take the same approach.
“The pursuit of lasting peace must always be our calling,” Biden says.
Hamas spokesman hails October 7 massacre as start of Israel’s destruction, but says: We’ll stick to the ceasefire deal if Israel does

In a video address hailing what he terms the Palestinian people’s sacrifice of countless martyrs in the past 15 months, Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida vows to focus all efforts on “containing” the Israeli enemy and urges mediators to compel Israel to commit to the ceasefire deal.
He says Hamas’s invasion and massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which he calls “the start of the historic Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa,” has sparked “the liberation of Palestine and hammered the final nail into the coffin of this occupation.”
“The agreement reached could have been made a year ago if it had aligned with [Prime Minister] Netanyahu’s ambitions,” he says.
“We are committed to the ceasefire agreement, but this depends on the enemy’s adherence.”
Biden says he looks forward to hostage deal being fully implemented

US President Joe Biden says he “looks forward” to the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal being “fully implemented,” in his first remarks to reporters shortly after the first three released Israeli hostages crossed into Israeli territory.
“After so much pain, destruction and loss of life, today the guns have gone silent,” Biden says.
Biden says four Israeli women will be released next Saturday— something Israeli authorities had not yet confirmed — and that three hostages will be released each of the following four Saturdays, including two American citizens, until the completion of the 42-day phase one.
He appears to only be referring to those being released alive, which would then be 19 hostages of the 33 slated for release.
Israel does not yet know with certainty how many of the 33 hostages being released in the first phase are alive, but does believe that the vast majority of them are.
Biden says he was updated that the three hostages released moments ago “appear to be in good health.”
Biden recalls that on day 16 of the first phase, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas regarding the terms of phase two of the deal — when the remaining living hostages are slated for release — will commence.
The second phase will be a “permanent end of the war without Hamas in power or able to threaten Israel,” he stresses.
When asked after his remarks whether he’s concerned about Hamas reconstituting in Gaza, Biden replies, “No.”
Biden notes that the ceasefire allows for the entry of several hundred trucks of humanitarian aid every single day, including Sunday.
He reiterates that the deal was the result of the framework he unveiled in a May 31 speech, which went on to receive broad international backing, including from the UN Security Council.
Footage shows ex-hostages crossing border from Gaza to Israel
Footage released by the IDF shows the moment former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher crossed the border from the Gaza Strip back into Israel after 471 days in Hamas captivity.
The three hostages were escorted by IDF special forces out of Gaza, after they were handed over by the Red Cross.
רגע חציית השבות ארצה, לשטח מדינת ישראל pic.twitter.com/941dfT15B1
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 19, 2025
Despite lobbying against deal, Smotrich celebrates return of hostages
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich celebrates the return of hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher after lobbying hard against the current ceasefire-hostage release deal in the cabinet.
“Emily, Doron and Romi, welcome home,” he tweets. “Our hearts go out to you, our dear sisters! The entire nation is proud of you, weeps with you, and embraces you endlessly!”
Smotrich’s far-right Religious Zionism party has threatened that its continued membership in the government hinges upon the war not ending without the complete military defeat of Hamas and has demanded a renewal of the conflict “immediately upon the conclusion of the first phase of the deal.”
Netanyahu: ‘An incredibly moving day, the whole nation embraces you’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the return of Romi, Emily and Doron to Israel from Hamas captivity is “an incredibly moving day.”
In a conversation with Gal Hirsch, the government point person for the return of the hostages, Netanyahu says that the three civilian women are “the first hostages that we are bringing home in this round.”
He asks Hirsch to tell them that “the whole nation is embracing you, welcome home.”
“I know, we all know, that they went through hell, they are going from darkness to light, they are truly exiting slavery for freedom,” Netanyahu adds. “This moment was achieved through the sacrifice and bravery of our heroic fighters… this is a big moment, an emotional moment. A big day.”
IDF says released hostages are reunited with their mothers
Former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher have reached an IDF facility near the border with the Gaza Strip, and are now meeting with their mothers, the military says.
The IDF says the three hostages will undergo an initial medical assessment at the facility before they are taken to hospitals to meet the rest of their families.
Likud MKs welcome hostage release, say Israel still committed to destroying Hamas

Welcoming the release of hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, leading Likud politicians insist that despite the ceasefire Israel will not give up on destroying Hamas.
“Romi, Doron and Emily have returned home. This is a moment of hope for an entire nation that now embraces them and their families in their hearts,” says Defense Minister Israel Katz, saluting members of the security establishment.
“The State of Israel will not rest or be quiet until every abducted man and woman returns home – the living to their families and those who are not for burial.”
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi states that “despite the unbearable images of the Nazis and terrorists, may their names be cursed, photographed in Gaza, today everyone is happy and excited to see our loved ones back home. We will continue to fight until we eliminate terrorism and bring everyone home soon, God willing.”
“We’ll be back soon,” he tweets in English and Arabic.
راح نرجعلكم عن قريب – We’ll be back soon pic.twitter.com/Q1NyNRMLMM
— ????????שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) January 19, 2025
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein states that “we will not give up on achieving the goals of the war and overthrowing the rule of the Hamas terrorist organization, so that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
Footage shows families celebrating as released hostages handed over to troops
The IDF releases footage showing the families of former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher celebrating during the moments when they were handed over to troops in the Gaza Strip.
They can be seen jumping up and down, waving their hands in the air in joy and relief.
מצורף תיעוד של משפחות השבות צופות ברגעי החבירה לכוח צה״ל pic.twitter.com/TwLuIxBlaf
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 19, 2025
‘A day of joy and comfort’: Herzog welcomes return of hostages
President Isaac Herzog says that the entire nation is “rejoicing at your return” after Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher cross into Israel after 471 days in captivity.
“We send you and your families a huge embrace. This is a day of joy and comfort, and the beginning of a challenging journey of recovery and healing together,” says Herzog, sending his thoughts to the “anxious and grieving families whose loved ones have not yet returned.”
Mothers of ex-hostages seen waiting at border to receive daughters
The mothers of former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are seen at an IDF facility near the border where the three women will be brought to shortly.
The mothers of the former hostages are seen alongside the head of the IDF Personnel Directorate Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, watching their daughters return to Israel.
אימהות שלוש השבות בנקודת הקליטה עם ראש אגף כוח האדם, אלוף דדו בר כליפא, צופות בבנותיהן שבות ארצה pic.twitter.com/Z1kwIIOHhK
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) January 19, 2025
Crowds at Hostages Square cheer as captives arrive back in Israel

Roughly 2,000 people crowd into Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, watching in silence as the first images of the returning hostages are broadcast.
Jerusalem’s confirmation that Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen are in Israeli hands is met with several waves of applause.
A strand of yellow balloons, whose color represents solidarity with the hostages, is released into the air, where it curls into the shape of the ubiquitous yellow ribbon.
Internet reception is faulty due to the crowd’s size. During breaks in the news broadcast on a large screen in the Square, the crowd chants to bring back “Everyone — now!”
IDF says Romi, Emily and Doron ‘are now in safe hands’

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, in a press conference, says former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher “are now in safe hands.”
“They are in our hands. They are coming home,” he says.
The three women are being brought to a facility near the border for an initial checkup, before being taken to a hospital.
Former hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are back in Israel

Hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher have crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, after 471 days in Hamas captivity.
IDF special forces are escorting the three hostages to a facility near the border for an initial checkup.
Netanyahu’s office: ‘The government of Israel embraces the three returnees’

The Prime Minister’s Office confirms that Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, are in the hands of Israeli forces.
“The government of Israel embraces the three returnees,” the PMO says in a statement, adding that their families have been told that they are in Israeli hands. “The government of Israel is committed to returning all of the hostages and the missing.”
Hostages handed over to IDF troops in Gaza

Hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher are in the hands of IDF troops in the Gaza Strip.
They will be brought out of Gaza to a facility near the border for an initial checkup.
The IDF says the three hostages are being escorted by an elite unit, after they were handed over to them by the Red Cross.
Gaza crowds chant for Hamas as hostages handed over to Red Cross
Live television pictures show three female hostages exiting a vehicle surrounded by armed Hamas men. The hostages get into vehicles of the International Committee of the Red Cross as the crowd chants the name of the armed wing of Hamas.
“The three women hostages were officially handed over to the Red Cross at Al-Saraya Square in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in western Gaza City,” a Hamas official tells AFP. “This occurred after a member of the Red Cross team met with them and ensured their well-being.”
Images show the hostage vehicle surrounded by a huge crowd, with many people holding up phones and filming. The vehicles were accompanied by armed men who wore green Hamas headbands and struggled to guard the cars from an unruly crowd that swelled into the thousands.
#Hamas hands 3 #hostages to Red Cross in #Gaza
القسام تفرج عن #اسيرات اسرائيليات #رهائن pic.twitter.com/EvMBZs9nwK— Rita khoury (@ritakhoury10) January 19, 2025
Emmanuel Macron says France will work for ‘full implementation’ of Gaza ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron says France intends to work with other nations to ensure “the full implementation” of the Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal.
“All of the hostages must be freed as soon as possible, and the president of the Republic repeats repeated his solidarity with the Israeli people in this regard,” his office adds in a statement.
Macron “is delighted that the Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement” and “he warmly thanked the Egyptian, Qatari and American mediators who contributed to it,” it says.
Macron spoke Saturday by phone with the families of two French-Israeli hostages still in captivity, Ofer Calderon and Ohad Yahalomi, the statement adds.
The two “have been living for 15 months in an anguish that the entire French nation shares…. Ohad and Ofer are now both on the first list of hostages to be released,” it adds.
Also, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expresses concerns about the hostages’ health.
“I don’t know in what condition they will return. We don’t know how many are alive or dead and, among the living, in what psychological state we’ll find them in. But the hostages will be progressively released. It’s a good thing,” he tells French broadcaster BFMTV.
Herzog at Western Wall to pray for safe return of hostages

President Isaac Herzog and his wife arrive at the Western Wall to pray for the safe return of the all the hostages.
“With God’s help we will see the hostages [beginning to] return today, until the very last one, according to the deal that was signed,” he says in a video message.
Herzog says he also is sending strength “to the families who are going through very difficult days,” in particular those who are seeing the release of Palestinian prisoners convicted of killing their loved ones as part of the deal.
The president also puts a note in the wall praying for the hostages’ safe return, as well as the safety of IDF soldiers and security officers, the recovery of the wounded and “for the eternal rebuilding of the State of Israel after this great upheaval.”
IDF says Red Cross has confirmed it has the hostages
The IDF says that the Red Cross has notified the military that hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher were handed over to them.
The Red Cross is now bringing the hostages to IDF troops inside the Gaza Strip, the military adds.
Hostages in Gaza City square are handed over to the Red Cross

Images show the three Israeli hostages arriving at the square in central Gaza City and being handed over to the Red Cross.
Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher are seen walking unaided.
تم التسليم الآن pic.twitter.com/IWECuh9PkQ
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) January 19, 2025
תמונות ראשונות של החטופות @anastasia___stu @OmerShahar123 pic.twitter.com/JXoEk1lBJw
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 19, 2025
רומי, דורון ואמילי הולכות על שתי רגליים – אחרי 471 יום בגיהינום | תמונות ראשונותhttps://t.co/hdCL6aTYmk pic.twitter.com/UhN5sULj2U
— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) January 19, 2025
Palestinian prisoners set for release include 69 women; youngest prisoner is 15

The 90 Palestinian prisoners set to be released in exchange for three hostages held by Hamas include 69 women, according to a list provided to The Associated Press.
The youngest is Mahmoud Aliowat, 15.
The prisoners to be released include Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leading member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist faction with an armed group that has carried out attacks on Israelis. New York-based Human Rights Watch said her repeated arrests are part of Israel’s wider crackdown on nonviolent political opposition.
Dalal Khaseeb, 53, the sister of former Hamas second-in-command Saleh Arouri, is also on the list, which was provided by Hamas. Arouri was killed in an Israeli strike in a southern Beirut suburb in January 2024.
Also listed for release is Abla Abdelrasoul, 68, the wife of detained PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat who ordered the assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001 and has been serving a 30-year sentence.
Large crowds, gunmen gather at Gaza City square where Red Cross waiting to receive hostages

A large crowd of Palestinians is seen gathering next to Red Cross vehicles at the Saraya Square in central Gaza City, apparently where Hamas will hand over the three Israeli hostages.
Images shared by Palestinian media show dozens of Hamas gunmen and photographers at the scene. In the previous hostage deal, Hamas released propaganda videos showing the release of Israeli captives.
As of now, Hamas has not yet handed hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher to the Red Cross, Israeli officials have said.
https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1880992562015780905
???? صور لمقاتلي #كتائب_القسام في ساحة السرايا وسط مدينة #غزة، حيث سيتم تسليم الأسيرات الإسرائيليات للصليب الأحمر. pic.twitter.com/m7qP5CmBdj
— عربي بوست (@arabic_post) January 19, 2025
Biden to give statement on hostage release
US President Joe Biden will give a speech at 10:30 a.m. eastern time (5:30 p.m. in Israel) on the ceasefire and hostage release deal currently being implemented in Gaza, the White House says.
Israel denies reports hostages have been handed over to Red Cross
Contrary to a report by Al Arabiya, the Red Cross has not yet received Israeli hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher from Hamas, Israeli sources say.
Television footage shows large crowds gathering next to Red Cross vehicles at the Saraya Square in central Gaza City, apparently where the handover will take place.
Among the rows are dozens of Hamas gunmen.
Dozens of Hamas' Al-Qassam fighters arrive in Gaza City's Saraya Square to hand over the Israeli hostages to the Red Cross. Hundreds of cheering Gazans are surrounding the vehicles carrying the hostages. https://t.co/6UZlSxC3Zu pic.twitter.com/YMYHiXcNY5
— Ariel Oseran (@ariel_oseran) January 19, 2025
Romi Gonen’s mother says she’s at ‘peak emotion,’ ‘real healing’ will soon begin

Meirav Leshem Gonen, the mother of Romi Gonen, who is being released today from Hamas captivity, says in a WhatsApp group for those working to secure her daughter’s release that she is “at peak emotion,” and that “real healing” will soon begin, according to Ynet.
“The list [of hostages to be released today] arrived and with it the official announcement, and we are at peak emotion. Soon we will see our loved ones, meet with our Roni and begin real healing,” the message reads.
Crowd in Hostages Square applauds report saying process of return of three hostages has begun

Some 200 people gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square applaud as Kan News, broadcast on a large screen, cites an Israeli source confirming that the process that will see the release of hostages Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari has begun.
The Hostages Families Forum has called for a rally at the square.
A Red Cross convoy was filmed in Gaza a short while ago apparently en route to get the hostages.
Hostage mothers asked to come to meeting point at IDF base near Gaza border
Hebrew media reports that the IDF has asked the mothers of the three hostages to come to a meeting point at a base next to the Gaza border.
From there they are to accompany their daughters as they are taken to the hospital.
Smotrich says decision not to quit government comes from sense of ‘national responsibility’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defends his decision not to leave the government and topple the coalition, arguing that he was acting out of a sense of duty to the country.
“So why didn’t I resign from the government? Because I have a national responsibility for victory and security, and I am willing to pay a price for it,” Smotrich writes in a lengthy post on Facebook following fellow far-right Otzma Yehudit party’s exit.
“Because I don’t run away from the battlefield in the middle of the war even after a crushing loss in one of its battles,” he declares, insisting that “it was impossible to stop the deal. Not even by threatening to overthrow the government.”
“The greatest strategic damage” of the ceasefire lies in the message it sends “that kidnapping Israelis brings the State of Israel to its knees,” Smotrich continues, asserting that “the only way to repair this damage and turn the deal into a tactical loss in battle rather than a strategic defeat in the war is to return to fighting until Hamas is destroyed.”
“The overthrow of the government would inevitably lead to a halt to the war. The left would have given Netanyahu a safety net for a few months and only in return for a commitment to continue the additional stages of the deal and end the war without destroying Hamas and overthrowing its rule in Gaza.
“Our remaining in the government on the condition of continuing to strive for victory gives us a great chance of succeeding in this,” he says. “That is why I am staying in the government.”
In addition to bringing about “an immediate cessation of the war,” overthrowing the government would only “lead to elections after which, in the best-case scenario, we will have a government similar to the current one headed by Netanyahu, and in the worst-case scenario, a left-wing government with supporters of terrorism and enemies of Israel,” he states.
Trump national security adviser: Hamas will never govern Gaza

US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, says that if Hamas reneges on the Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal, the United States will support Israel “in doing what it has to do.”
He adds in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation,” “Hamas will never govern Gaza. That is completely unacceptable.”
Waltz says Trump and his team have made clear to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding “I want the Israeli people to hear me loud and clear.”
“If Hamas reneges on this deal and Hamas backs out, moves the goalpost, what have you, we will support Israel in doing what it has to do,” he says.
Waltz is also optimistic about the Trump administration being able to broker a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia as part of the Abraham Accords.
Unconfirmed report: Hostages handed over to Red Cross

The Saudi Al Arabiya outlet reports that Hamas has handed over the three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross.
The Red Cross is now beginning to transfer Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher to the IDF in the Netzarim Corridor area, the report adds.
Israeli officials have not yet confirmed the details.
IDF helicopters standing by to take hostages back to Israel

The IDF says Israeli Air Force helicopters are ready for the three Israeli hostages who are set to be released from the Gaza Strip.
The choppers will take them to hospitals after an initial checkup at an army facility near the border.
Family members have sent personal items that are waiting in the helicopters for the hostages.

Footage shows Red Cross convoy in Gaza en route to pick up hostages

Footage broadcast from the Gaza Strip shows a Red Cross convoy traveling to pick up the three Israeli hostages ahead of their expected release.
3 רכבי הצלב האדום בתנועה לחבירה pic.twitter.com/94hqxagroa
— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) January 19, 2025
Footage shows a Red Cross convoy in the Gaza Strip heading to collect the three Israeli hostages from Hamas. https://t.co/o8FVPpCaa9 pic.twitter.com/h6RfFw875u
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) January 19, 2025
IDF preparing for release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to West Bank

The IDF Central Command is preparing for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank as part of the hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The military says it has implemented lessons learned from previous releases of Palestinian prisoners.
The IDF says it will work to prevent celebrations and parades when the prisoners are freed. Shin Bet agents have made warning calls to the families of those who are expected to be freed.
In addition, the IDF says it is bolstering troops and ramping up defensive efforts in the West Bank to prevent potential attacks.
The Central Command is also readying to carry out offensive actions in the West Bank, to prevent Hamas from establishing a foothold in the West Bank in light of the release of members of the terror group.
The offensive plans are being coordinated with the Palestinian Authority, who also fear Hamas gaining power in the West Bank, military sources say.
According to the IDF, of the 150 Palestinians released in the November 2023 deal with Hamas, three were killed in airstrikes and clashes, and around 30 were rearrested after resuming terror activity.
The Central Command intends to monitor the prisoners being released in this agreement and rearrest them if needed.
Red Cross said on way to pick up hostages; Netanyahu’s office says transfer has not yet begun

An official involved in the operation tells the Reuters news agency that a Red Cross team in Gaza is on its way to pick up the hostages.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office says the process of returning the three female hostages to Israel has not yet begun.
The three hostages — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari — are slated to be handed from Hamas to the Red Cross, which will transfer them to IDF troops in Gaza who will bring them to one of three complexes set up by the IDF next to the Gaza border.
The process is expected to begin this afternoon or evening although the exact timeline is still unclear.
Katz says war won’t end in Gaza until all the hostages are released

Defense Minister Israel Katz says Israel will not end the war in the Gaza Strip until all the hostages held by Hamas are returned.
“We will not stop the war until everyone returns home,” he says during a visit to an army facility on the Gaza border where released hostages will receive initial treatment.
“I came to make sure that the IDF is prepared to protect the communities and soldiers against any attack… even during the ceasefire,” Katz says.
The defense minister also vows that the military will stay in a buffer zone along the Gaza border and “will respond strongly to any violation and threat.”
UK welcomes expected release of dual British national Emily Damari in hostage deal

The UK welcomes the expected release of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari after she was named as one of the three women to be released today as part of a ceasefire deal, the UK foreign office says.
“The UK government welcomes the reports that British national Emily Damari is on the list of hostages to be released by Hamas today. We stand ready to support her upon her release,” the foreign office says in a statement.
Prison service: Preparations underway for release of Palestinian prisoners in hostage-ceasefire deal

The Israel Prison Service is preparing to release the first round of Palestinian prisoners as part of the hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, a spokesperson for the agency says.
“The Prison Service has received the list of security prisoners expected to be released from various prisons as part of Operation ‘Wings of Freedom’ to return the hostages home,” reads the statement.
The agency has not yet provided the names of the 90 prisoners slated for release today.
The prisoners will be transported by the prison service’s Nahshon unit to Ofer Prison, located in the West Bank, where they will be identified by Red Cross representatives. The prisoners will wait at Ofer Prison until the release of the three Israeli hostages is confirmed by the IDF.
Hebrew-language media reports that 78 of the prisoners will be transported to the West Bank, and 12 to East Jerusalem.
Prisoners who are West Bank residents will be escorted by the Red Cross to the Beitunia checkpoint, where they will then be freed, according to a spokesperson.
Residents of East Jerusalem will be escorted by the IPS to the Russian Compound detention center in the city, then released by police.
High Court rejects petition calling for prisoner who sexually assaulted guards to be deported if freed in deal

The High Court rejects a petition asking for a terrorist who sexually assaulted prison guards to be deported if he is released as part of the hostage-ceasefire deal.
Former guards at Gilboa Prison said that Mahmoud Atallah sexually harassed and assaulted them on multiple occasions, with one woman saying she was repeatedly raped.
The petitioners had said that any potential danger to them had not been considered when Attallah was named for release.
An intelligence officer at the prison allegedly “pimped” female guards to Atallah and to other Palestinian inmates, at his request.
Trump welcomes expected release of hostages: ‘Three wonderful young women will be first’

US President-elect Donald Trump welcomes the expected release of three Israeli hostages later today.
“Hostages starting to come out today! Three wonderful young women will be first,” Trump writes on Truth Social.
Likud’s Dichter is leading candidate to replace Ben Gvir at National Security Ministry – reports

The leading candidate to replace Itamar Ben Gvir as national security minister in the government is Likud’s Avi Dichter, who is currently serving as agriculture minister, according to Hebrew media reports.
Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party submitted their resignations this morning from the government in protest of the approval of the ceasefire-hostage release deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is widely expected to give the ministry to someone within his Likud party in order to leave the door open for Ben Gvir to later return to the government. His options are limited, however, since he is likely to face legal hurdles appointing anyone to the role who is currently part of a police investigation — which includes ministers Eli Cohen, Miri Regev and May Golan.
The other ministerial posts held by Otzma Yehudit — Negev and Galilee minister and heritage minister — are also expected to be given to members of Likud.
UN says aid trucks entering Strip as part of surge under hostage-ceasefire deal

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect, the United Nations says.
“First trucks of supplies started entering” minutes after the ceasefire took effect on this morning, UN aid official Jonathan Whittall, interim chief of the UN’s OCHA aid agency for the Palestinian territories, says on X.
“A massive effort has been underway over the past days from humanitarian partners to load and prepare to distribute a surge of aid across all of Gaza,” he says.
A surge in aid to the Strip is part of the deal that will also see hostages freed and Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails.
IDF chief Halevi says troops’ efforts brought Hamas to ‘difficult situation’ that led to hostage deal

Speaking to troops in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun last week, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says the ceasefire deal would not have been reached if Hamas had not been in such a difficult situation.”
“We would not have reached an agreement under these terms if Hamas had not been in such a difficult situation, and we see this. It’s you that brought Hamas to such a difficult situation, along with other troops, strikes, intelligence, and continuous action,” he said to troops of the Nahal Brigade on Thursday in comments released today.
Halevi says during an offensive against Hamas in the Strip’s far north, launched in October, the IDF “killed approximately 3,000 terrorists, apprehended hundreds.”
“We take pride in stepping back to extend a hand in order to bring home dozens of living hostages, and we will also take pride and be determined to return going forward to fighting,” he says.
Families call for mass gathering at Tel Aviv Hostages Square from 4 p.m.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum calls on the public to gather at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square ahead of the expected release of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher.
The forum calls on the public to assemble at the square from 4 p.m.
“Crowds of Israelis will come to be together at Hostages Square, to support the families of the hostages and to watch the historic and emotional moments that will be projected on the giant screen,” the forum says.
“Now, more than ever, we need the people of Israel with us, until the last hostage. Nobody will be left behind,” the forum says.
The military does not know yet when the three women will be released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip today, but says it is already prepared to receive them.
Relatives of 3 hostages set to be released express joy, but warn: ‘It’s not done until it’s done’
Relatives of Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher — the three Israeli hostages set to be released later today — express their joy that their loved ones are coming home, but say there’s a “long road ahead.”
Eitan Gonen tells the Kan public broadcaster that while Israeli officials have not provided information on his daughter’s condition, “Romi is finally coming home, alive, there is nothing more joyful than that.”
Romi Gonen’s friends learn she will be released today ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gf8Nq7XVXQ
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 19, 2025
A source close to the Damari family tells the BBC that it has been a “torturous 471 days but a particularly torturous 24 hours.”
“All Emily’s mum Mandy wants to do is hug Emily. But she won’t believe it until she sees it,” the source tells the British broadcaster.
“Until she’s out and Mandy can actually see that she’s out. It hasn’t happened until it happens. It’s not done until it’s done. And there’s a long road ahead,” the source says.
Michal Mayo, a cousin of Doron Steinbrecher, breaks down in tears during an interview with the Kan public broadcaster as the host tells her that the release of Doron later in the day has been made public.
“How good that she is coming home,” Mayo says.
Hamas says it’s waiting for names of 90 prisoners to be freed by Israel today in hostage-ceasefire deal

The Hamas terror group says it is awaiting a list of 90 prisoners to be released by Israel today as part of the hostage-ceasefire deal.
“The occupation is expected to hand over shortly a list containing the names of 90 prisoners from the categories of women and children who are set to be released on the first day of the ceasefire,” Hamas says in statement.
The terror group adds that the deal stipulates “the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for one civilian detainee.”
Three Israeli women held hostage in Gaza since October 7, 2023 — Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher — are expected to be released later today.
ADL: Wikipedia bans several editors for spreading antisemitic rhetoric, misinformation on Gaza war

Wikipedia has banned several editors for using the platform to spread antisemitic rhetoric and misinformation about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the Anti-Defamation League says.
These users have spread “malicious, false and biased information about Zionism and Israel across the platform,” says the ADL.
An arbitration committee for the collaborative online encyclopedia banned the users Iskandar323, Selfstudier, Nableezy, Levivich and Nishidani from the Israel-Palestine discussion for operating in bad faith, the watchdog says. Another editor, Ivana, was previously banned from all editing.
Following the decision, “it is now imperative for Wikipedia to begin work immediately to undo the harm caused by these rogue but prolific editors who literally have wreaked havoc across the platform,” the ADL says.
“As we have said before, Wikipedia needs to wake up to the reality that this is a systemic problem across the platform that needs immediate action. There is still a lot more that must be done to ensure that Wikipedia can live up to its policy around the encyclopedia holding a neutral point of view.”
The ADL was labeled as “generally unreliable” regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Wikipedia’s editors in June. The organization charged that all of the banned users had taken part in a coordinated campaign to smear its credibility.
IDF says doesn’t know when 3 hostages will be released today, but is ready to receive them
The military does not know yet when hostages Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher will be released from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip today, but says it is already prepared to receive them.
Hamas is expected to hand over the three female hostages to the Red Cross, which will then hand them over to IDF special forces inside the Gaza Strip.
From there, the hostages will be taken to one of three army facilities established near the border — one near Re’im, one near Kerem Shalom, and one near Erez — for an initial checkup, and then to a hospital to meet with their families.
The military believes the three hostages will be released today from central Gaza, meaning they will be taken to the Re’im facility, though nothing is certain.
The IDF has closed off routes in the Gaza border area this morning to protect the hostages’ privacy during the release.
Some 200 trucks of humanitarian aid start to arrive at Gaza crossing as ceasefire begins

About 200 aid delivery trucks, including 20 carrying fuel, begin arriving at the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom Crossing ahead of entry into the Gaza Strip, two Egyptian sources tell Reuters.
The aid trucks are using the Kerem Shalom entry point pending completion of maintenance and repair work at the Rafah border crossing into southern Gaza from Egypt, the sources say.
The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced by the war, many more than once.
A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza took effect this morning after a nearly three-hour delay when Hamas initially didn’t send the names of the three hostages set to be released after 15 months of captivity in Gaza later today.
Religious Zionism MK set to lose his Knesset seat says he supports party’s decision to stay in government

Following the far right Otzma Yehudit party’s resignation from the coalition, Religious Zionism MK Zvi Sukkot, who is set to be forced out of the Knesset under the Norwegian Law, supports his party’s decision to remain part of the government.
The law allows ministers and deputy ministers from large factions to resign, with their Knesset seats filled by members of their parties.
Sukkot occupies the lowest spot on the joint slate on which Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit ran in the 2022 Knesset election. With Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu reclaiming his Knesset seat, that means that Sukkot will no longer be a lawmaker.
“In 48 hours I will probably finish my mission as a member of Knesset for the time being,” Sukkot declares. “From a place free from political interests, I want to support my party chairman in his decision to remain in the government in exchange for continuing the war until the enemy is defeated and a crushing victory is achieved.”
Netanyahu was “forced” by US President Joe Biden and president-elect Donald Trump “to agree to this terrible deal.”
But if his party withdrew and the government were to fall, the next government would “return Israel to October 6,” he argues.
“The outline talks about a second phase of the deal that would include Israel’s complete and final withdrawal from Gaza and, in turn, the return of Hamas rule. I have no doubt that if we were to dissolve the government now, that would be where it would go, and of course with the full backing of the heads of the security establishment,” he says.
“Personally, I am convinced that the decision to remain in the government under the conditions we set was the right one.”
Sa’ar: Middle East could remain unstable if Hamas stays in power in Gaza

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says if Hamas maintains control in the Gaza Strip, the group will pose a threat not just to Israel but the entire region.
“The rule of Hamas in Gaza is not only a danger for the security of Israel, but also a nightmare for the Palestinians themselves,” causing 15 months of grueling war in Gaza and the region, Sa’ar tells foreign media outlets during a briefing in Jerusalem.
“If [Hamas] will stay in power, the regional instability it causes might continue,” he adds.
Sa’ar echoes comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night that what went into effect this morning is a “temporary ceasefire,” and that a more permanent truce will be negotiated only starting on day 16 of the agreement: “I hope we will reach it, but it’s not in our hands yet.”
If a deal suitable to Israel is not reached — including the toppling of Hamas and the return of all the hostages — then fighting will resume, adds Sa’ar.
Smotrich says he’ll ‘bring down the government’ if Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls on Israel to occupy the Gaza Strip and install a military government, threatening to bring down the government if it does not do so.
Speaking with Army Radio, the far-right minister says that Israel “must occupy Gaza and create a temporary military government because there is no other way to defeat Hamas.”
“I will bring down the government if it does not return to fighting in a way that [leads to us] taking over the entire Gaza Strip and governing it,” he continues, lashing out at IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi as “weak in strategy.”
“If I were the prime minister, I would tell the chief of staff, ‘This is my policy; if you don’t execute it, go home,'” Smotrich says.
He insists as well that Israel take over the provision of humanitarian aid in the Strip.
Netanyahu has in past statements stressed that Israel has no plans to conquer or permanently occupy the Gaza Strip.
Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher confirmed as other two hostages to be freed today
Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, are named as two of the hostages set to be freed by Hamas later today.
The families have confirmed that the two women are expected to be released today.
Earlier, the family of Romi Gonen said that she was on the list of three civilian women who were due to be released by the terror group.
Damari, a dual UK citizen, and Steinbrecher were both taken hostage from their homes in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. Damari was shot and injured by terrorists.
A biographical note issued by her family via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum describes Damari as “a British citizen living in Kfar Aza. Her friends describe her as well-loved and popular, a friend to everyone. Emily enjoys barbecuing and karaoke nights, and loves hats. She is a central figure in the local Kfar Aza youth community and is always there for her friends. On October 7th, she was kidnapped from her home in Kfar Aza along with her friends Gali and Ziv Berman, who remain in captivity, and Doron Steinbrecher.”
A biographical note issued by Steinbrecher’s family describes her as follows: “Doron is a veterinary nurse who has cared for animals since childhood, when she helped at the school’s petting zoo. She loves sports, especially running, and goes for early morning runs around the kibbutz every Saturday.
“Her family describes her as a devoted aunt who is especially loved by her nephews. Her parents are Roni and Simona, and she has one sister, Yamit and one brother, Dor.”
Damari and Steinbrecher lived in the kibbutz’s “young generation” neighborhood — out of the 37 residents there, 11 people were murdered and seven were kidnapped and taken to the Strip.

Related — Taken captive: UK citizen Emily Damari from her Kfar Aza apartment
Related — Taken captive: Doron Steinbrecher, ‘They’ve arrived, they have me’
Mother of Oron Shaul, killed in 2014 and his body recovered from Gaza in recent op: ‘I didn’t think it would happen’

The mother of IDF Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas in 2014 and whose body was recovered in a recent operation that was announced this morning, says she didn’t think it would ever happen.
“I thought it wouldn’t happen and now it has happened. I’m very emotional and it’s hard for me to even speak,” says Zehava Shaul, according to the Ynet news site.
Shaul thanks “all those who made this supreme effort and returned Oron to me, including the prime minister and the security establishment. I hope they return all the hostages who are still in Gaza.”
Oron Shaul was killed during the 2014 Gaza war, known in Israel as Operation Protective Edge. Seven soldiers were killed in a deadly incident in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, including Shaul, whose body was dragged away from the scene by Hamas operatives.
Thailand welcomes hostage-ceasefire deal, calls for release of its nationals held in Gaza
In a statement, Thailand’s Foreign Ministry welcomes the hostage and ceasefire deal and calls for the release of all those held in Gaza, including Thai nationals.
“Thailand welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage deal in the Gaza Strip,” the ministry says.
“Thailand commends Qatar, Egypt and the United States of America, for their pivotal role and continued efforts in mediating the conflicting parties towards the successful conclusion of the deal,” the statement reads.
“Thailand calls on all sides to fully implement the deal, as well as the immediate release of all remaining hostages, including Thai nationals,” the ministry says.
Eight Thai nationals who were taken hostage from Israel on October 7, 2023, are still held in Gaza.
Romi Gonen named as one of three hostages set to be released by Hamas today

Romi Gonen is named as one of the three hostages slated to be released by the Hamas terror group today.
In a post to his Instagram account, Romi’s brother Shahaf writes that she “is on the list. It’s official. Good luck to us all.”

Gonen, 24, was taken hostage from the Nova festival on October 7, 2023.
In a call to her mother, she said she had been shot during the devastating attack by Hamas terrorists. Three of her friends who were with her that day were murdered.
A biographical note issued by her family via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum describes her as follows: “24 years old, lives in Kfar Vradim. She loves dancing, traveling, and enjoying life. Friends and family describe her as energetic, funny, family-oriented, and full of life.”
It adds: “Romi has four siblings and two loving parents, Meirav and Eitan.”
Related — Taken captive: Romi Gonen, after being shot in car by terrorists
Israel says Gaza ceasefire taking effect, after Hamas sent list of 3 hostages to be released today

After Hamas hands over a list of the hostages slated for release today, Israel says the ceasefire will go into effect at 11:15 a.m. local time.
The first stage of the truce was originally slated to begin this morning at 8:30 a.m., but was delayed after Hamas was late in handing over the list of the three female hostages to be freed this afternoon.
The IDF continued to strike terror targets in the Strip over the past two hours.
Israel confirms it received the names of three hostages slated to be released today

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirms that Israel has officially received the list of hostages who are slated to be released today.
The PMO says that the security establishment is currently “checking the details.”
Gal Hirsch, the government’s point person on the return of the hostages, has began updating the families of the three female hostages expected to be returned to Israel today, the PMO says.
Hamas names the three women civilian hostages it will release today
The Hamas terror group in a statement names the hostages it says it will release today.
Israel has not yet confirmed the names on the list. The Prime Minister’s Office asks Israeli media not to publish the names.
The three civilian women Hamas says will be released were taken hostage on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas onslaught in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 kidnapped to Gaza.
Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit leaves coalition over approval of hostage-ceasefire deal

The far-right Otzma Yehudit party leaves the coalition, following through on its threat to bolt if Israel agrees to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Three ministers — National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, and Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf — all submit their resignation letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and “from this time onwards the Otzma Yehudit party is not a member of the coalition,” the party says in a statement.
Writing to Netanyahu, Otzma Yehudit chairman Ben Gvir boasts of his “significant achievements under your leadership” but complains of what he says is the prime minister’s “surrender-to-terror deal, which crosses all ideological red lines.”
The ceasefire constitutes “a complete victory for terrorism,” Ben Gvir declares, adding that “we do not intend to work to overthrow the government led by you, but on ideological issues we will vote according to our outlook and our conscience.”
“We will not return to the government table without a complete victory against Hamas and the full realization of the war’s goals,” he adds.
The party’s statement also says that MKs Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech and Yitzhak Kroizer “submitted letters of resignation from their positions on the various committees to the coalition chairman.”
The statement does not mention Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen, who has broken with his party to vote with the coalition several times in recent weeks, leaving his current status unclear.
Senior Hamas official says terror group has sent list of hostages to be released today

A senior Hamas official says that the terror group has sent Israel the required list of the hostages set to be released today, Palestinian media outlets report.
An Israeli official tells the Kan public broadcaster that Hamas has given the names of the three women to the mediators.
IDF says fighter jets carrying out wave of airstrikes in Gaza Strip
The IDF says fighter jets are carrying out a wave of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip.
Further details will be provided later, the military adds.
Israel has said that the ceasefire that was supposed to begin earlier this morning has not yet taken effect because Hamas has failed to provide the names of hostages to be released today, as agreed.
Hamas-run agency: 8 Gazans killed in IDF strikes since ceasefire was supposed to begin
The Hamas-run civil defense agency says eight Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was supposed to take effect this morning.
Israel has said that the ceasefire has not yet taken effect as Hamas has failed to provide the names of hostages to be released today, as agreed.
Armed Hamas operatives parade in Gaza’s Rafah after ceasefire was supposed to take effect

Armed Hamas operatives are seen parading in southern Gaza’s Rafah a short while ago, after the ceasefire with Israel was supposed to take effect, footage broadcast by Al Jazeera shows.
عناصر من أجهزة الأمن الفلسطينية في #غزة ينتشرون في الشوارع لضبط الأمن#حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/64cURk14G8
— قناة الجزيرة (@AJArabic) January 19, 2025
Israel has said that the ceasefire has not yet taken effect as Hamas has failed to provide the names of hostages to be released today.
Additional footage shows that Hamas police officers have also been deployed to the streets of Gaza.
عاجل: بدء انتشار قوات الشرطة الفلسطينية في شوارع غزة. pic.twitter.com/SGUe55gBl7
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) January 19, 2025
IDF says it carried out strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, with ceasefire still not in effect
The IDF says a short while ago it carried out artillery shelling and several drone strikes against Hamas targets in northern and central Gaza, as the ceasefire with the terror group has not yet taken effect.
“The IDF continues to operate and strike terror targets in the Gaza Strip,” the military says in a statement.
IDF says rocket sirens in Sderot were false alert
The Israel Defense Forces says the rocket sirens that sounded in Sderot a short time ago were a false alert.
The sirens had sounded half an hour after the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was supposed to take effect.
However, the implementation of the ceasefire has been delayed because Hamas has not abided by the terms and has failed to provide a list of the names of the three female hostages who were slated to be freed today.
IDF: Hamas not abiding by hostage-ceasefire deal, military will continue to strike Gaza
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says the military is continuing to strike in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas is not abiding by the ceasefire agreement.
“As of this morning, Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations, and contrary to the agreement has not given Israel the names of the hostages [set for release today],” he says.
“Per the directive of the prime minister, the ceasefire will not take effect as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations. The IDF is continuing to strike now in Gaza, as long as Hamas is not fulfilling its obligations to the deal,” Hagari says.
Planned start time of ceasefire passes without Hamas sending names of hostages to be freed today

As the planned start time of the ceasefire passes, Hamas has still not sent the list of three female hostages set to be released later today.
The ceasefire had been set to take effect at 8:30 a.m., but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this morning it would not be implemented unless the terror group kept to the agreed terms and released the names of the three civilian women.
Under the terms of the deal, Hamas was required to provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release — initially expected to be today at around 4:30 p.m.
However, the terror group has still not confirmed which three of the 97 hostages are slated for release, claiming the delay in handing over the names is due to “technical reasons.”
With return of Oron Shaul’s body from Gaza, PM vows to also bring back Hadar Goldin
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes the return of the body of IDF soldier Oron Shaul, who was killed in 2014 in Gaza and his body held by Hamas ever since.
“I embrace the dear Shaul family, and congratulate the Shin Bet and IDF forces for their resourcefulness and courage,” Netanyahu says in a statement.
The prime minister says photos of Shaul and fellow fallen IDF soldier Hadar Goldin, whose body has also held by Hamas for more than a decade, “have been on display in my office for many years as a daily reminder of my responsibility to bring them home.”
Netanyahu says that Israel has now “completed the mission to bring back Oron, and we will not rest or be silent until we return home Hadar Goldin. We’ll continue to work to bring all of the hostages home — both the living and the fallen.”
Body of Oron Shaul, killed and captured by Hamas in 2014, recovered from Gaza
In a recent clandestine operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops recovered the body of soldier Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who was killed and captured by Hamas in 2014, the military announces.
The operation to recover the body was carried out jointly by the IDF and the Shin Bet security agency, with several special forces units including the Navy’s Shayetet 13 commando unit and another elite force in the Military Intelligence Directorate.
The IDF does not detail when the operation happened, or in which part of Gaza the body was found.
Shaul’s body was brought back to Israel and taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute where it was identified. His family was then informed.
On July 20, 2014, amid the 2014 Gaza War, troops of the Golani Brigade’s 13th Battalion entered Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood in an M-113 armored personnel carrier. The APC got stuck in one of the neighborhood’s narrow streets, and during attempts to extract it, it came under attack by Hamas operatives launching anti-tank missiles.
Seven soldiers were killed in the incident, including Shaul, whose body was dragged away from the scene by Hamas operatives.
Police say 3 arrested at Jerusalem protest against hostage-ceasefire deal last night

Police in Jerusalem say they arrested three people last night for allegedly attacking police at a protest against the hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas that was held near the entrance to the city.
According to a police spokesman, protesters threw stones at officers on duty, lightly injuring a Border Police officer. Cops also confiscated a bottle containing flammable material from one of the participants.
Last night’s protest marked the fourth time right-wing demonstrators have blocked traffic under Chords Bridge since the ceasefire was announced Wednesday.
“Seeing that the rioters disregarded police orders, the officers took immediate action to contain and disperse those disrupting the peace to restore order,” says the spokesperson.
עימותים בין המפגינים למשטרה שמנסה לפתוח את הכביש https://t.co/jjhTqr6izc pic.twitter.com/IpkFNRqnxQ
— אלישיב הראל | Elyashiv Harel (@elyashivharel) January 18, 2025
Hamas: ‘Technical reasons’ preventing release of names of hostages set to be freed today

Shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a statement that the ceasefire won’t begin until Israel receives the names of the three hostages slated to be released today, Hamas says the delay is due to “technical reasons.”
In a statement, the terror group says it “confirms its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.”
As per the terms of the deal, Hamas was required to provide the names of the hostages at least 24 hours ahead of their release — expected to be today at around 4:30 p.m.
The terror group has still had not confirmed which three of the 98 hostages are set to be released.
Netanyahu: Ceasefire won’t begin until Israel receives names of hostages to be freed by Hamas today

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has still yet to receive a list of hostages slated to be freed today by Hamas, which will delay the start of the ceasefire.
The Prime Minister’s Office says Netanyahu held a security assessment overnight “regarding the delay in receiving the list of hostages expected to be released.”
Netanyahu “instructed the IDF that the ceasefire, which is scheduled to take effect at 8:30 a.m., will not begin until Israel has the list of hostages to be released, which Hamas has pledged to provide,” his office adds.
Three female hostages are slated to be released from Gaza today, the first day of the ceasefire, although Hamas was supposed to have provided their names already by yesterday afternoon, according to Israeli officials.
IDF repeats warnings to Gazans not to approach areas where troops remain when ceasefire begins

The Israel Defense Forces repeats its warning to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip not to approach areas where the military will remain deployed at the start of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, set to begin at 8:30 a.m.
“We urge you not to head toward the buffer zone or IDF forces for your safety,” military spokesman Avichay Adraee says on Telegram. “At this stage, heading toward the buffer zone or moving from south to north via Gaza Valley puts you at risk. Anyone heading toward these areas endangers themselves.”
High Court rejects petitions against hostage-ceasefire deal

The High Court of Justice rejects the petitions filed against the implementation of the hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
“It is not our place or custom to intervene in matters of this type in which the scope of judicial review is extremely narrow,” the judges’ decision states, according to Hebrew-language media reports.
The petitions had called for the court to intervene to prevent the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of the agreement.
Trump has ‘hyper fixation’ on winning Nobel Peace Prize — report

Donald Trump has “a hyper fixation” on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, CBS News reports, citing an unnamed aide to the US president-elect.
The interest in the award has reemerged as he seeks to bring the ceasefire and hostage release deal over the finish-line, the aide says.
Maintaining the ceasefire past its first phase will ostensibly boost Trump’s chances further.
His aides reportedly assured hostages families on Saturday that they are committed to seeing the deal through all of its stages, amid speculation that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will try and resume fighting after the first phase in order to maintain his hardline coalition.
Trump aides have also said the US wants to use a Gaza ceasefire to set the groundwork for expanding the Abraham Accords – namely with a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh has demanded the establishment of a timebound, irreversible path to a Palestinian state – something Netanyahu has rejected off hand.
However, the premier appears more susceptible to pressure from the US under Trump, with the latter’s aide Steve Witkoff managing to coax the premier into key compromises necessary for the hostage deal slated to enter place on Sunday, Arab officials told The Times of Israel last week.
Trump team considering relocation for some of Gaza’s residents during post-war rebuilding — NBC
The Trump transition team is reportedly considering relocating some of Gaza’s two million people outside of the enclave while post-war reconstruction of the decimated Strip takes place, with one of the temporary host countries considered for refugees being Indonesia.
NBC makes the revelation in a Saturday report but only cites one anonymous transition official, who divulges an idea widely seen as completely unrealistic, and it’s unclear how many people in the incoming administration are actually seriously considering it.
Regional countries to date have rejected the idea of accepting Palestinian migrants, not wanting to be seen as complicit in another refugee crisis. There is also significant fear among many Palestinians that Israel would not allow those who leave the Strip to return.
NBC also reports that incoming Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff is considering a visit to Gaza, as he works to maintain the nascent ceasefire deal that is slated to commence on Sunday.
“You got to see it, you got to feel it,” the transition official says, adding that doing so would allow Witkoff to see the dynamics playing out on the ground himself, rather than taking Israel’s word for it.
Witkoff is considering the Gaza trip, as he plans to maintain a near-constant presence in the region over the coming weeks and months, given how fragile the deal is expected to be, NBC says, still citing the same lone unnamed transition official.
“Remember, there’s a lot of people, radicals, fanatics, not just from the Hamas side, from the right wing of the Israeli side, who are absolutely incentivized to blow this whole deal up,” the transition official says, offering rare criticism of Israel from a Trump official, albeit an anonymous one.
“If we don’t help the Gazans, if we don’t make their life better, if we don’t give them a sense of hope, there’s going to be a rebellion,” the transition official adds.
The Times of Israel revealed last week that Witkoff’s January 11 meeting with Netanyahu was critical in securing a breakthrough, with the Trump envoy leaning on the premier to make the compromises necessary for a deal.
He essentially conveyed to the prime minister, “If you’re not intent on making a deal, then tell me, and I’ll get on the plane and I’ll go home,” the transition official tells NBC.
Witkoff reportedly highlighted to Netanyahu how much Trump did for Israel in his first term.
He also pointed to Trump’s willingness to take political heat from his conservative supporters in order to secure the ceasefire deal, and Witkoff urged the Israeli government to take the same approach, NBC says.
The network says Witkoff relayed the following message to Hamas via Qatar: Unless you’re prepared to die, tell me why you don’t see this as the deal that could ultimately lead to the end of the war.
NBC also reveals that American-Israeli hostage Keith Siegel is not scheduled to be released until Day 14 of the ceasefire.
No Israeli news site — even well-sourced ones — has published the days during which specific hostages will be released, and it’s unclear the veracity of this unsourced detail in the unconfirmed report.
Trump national security pick said to tell hostage families that US will ensure all stages of deal are implemented

Incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz reportedly told the families of American hostages that the Trump administration will make sure that all phases of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas are implemented, amid concerns among many of the hostage families that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will resume fighting after the first phase, putting the lives of their relatives slated for release in the second phase at risk.
Families present at the meeting on Saturday expressed their concern over recent comments made by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who said he received assurances from Netanyahu that Israel would resume fighting after the first phase, Axios reports.
The families asked Waltz that the Trump administration push for negotiations on the second phase of the deal to begin as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the 16th day of the ceasefire as the deal stipulates, the report says.
Houthis claim to strike US aircraft carrier, warn of ‘consequences’ if attacked during Gaza ceasefire
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim an attack on an American aircraft carrier in the early hours of Sunday morning, and warn of “consequences” for any retaliation against it amid the imminent ceasefire-hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the enemy forces in the Red Sea of the consequences of any aggression against our country during the ceasefire period in Gaza,” the Iran-backed rebels say in a statement.
“They will confront any aggression with specific military operations against those forces without a ceiling or red lines.”
The Houthis, who have attacked shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023 in a show of solidarity with the Hamas terror group amid the war in Gaza, say that they targeted the USS Harry S. Truman and other “warships” with drones and cruise missiles.
“The American aircraft carrier was forced to leave the theater of operations,” the rebels’ statement says.
On Friday, the Yemeni rebels warned they would keep up their attacks if Israel does not respect the terms of the ceasefire with Hamas, which is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Hamas said to blame ‘technical reasons’ for delay in providing names of hostages
With Hamas still yet to provide a list of names of the first hostages it will free after the ceasefire deal starts tomorrow at 8:30 a.m., a source in the terror group claims to the Ynet news site that the delay is due to “technical reasons.”
According to the source, Hamas operatives communicate “physically via emissaries and it takes time to agree on the names and the location of the hostages when IDF planes are still above them.”
“The list will only come out after the approval of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar,” the source adds.
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