Israeli forces recover bodies of three hostages from Gaza
Israeli forces have recovered the bodies of three hostages which had been held in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas' 2023 attack, the military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.
The hostages were identified as civilians Ofra Keidar and Yonatan Samerano, and soldier Shay Levinson.
3 Yonatan Samerano was a civilian who died on October 7, 2023, the military claimed.
via REUTERS
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3 Ofra Keidar was killed during the October 7, 2023 attack.
via REUTERS
All were killed on the day of the attack, on October 7, 2023, the military said.
With their retrieval, 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
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The abduction of Samerano, 21 at the time of his death, by a man later identified by Israeli officials as a worker at the UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, was caught on CCTV.
3 The remains of soldier Shay Levinson have been recovered, according to Israeli authorities.
via REUTERS
Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
The subsequent Israeli campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run strip, displaced almost the entire 2.3 million population, plunged the enclave into humanitarian crisis and left much of the territory in ruins.
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USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Protests erupt calling for Trump, U.S. to say out of war in Middle East
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Newsweek
20 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Iranians Speak Out About Uncertainty Following US Attacks
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Boston Globe
25 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
11 days in June: Trump's path to ‘yes' on bombing Iran
Here's a look at how the last 11 days unfolded, a cascade of events that could reshape a combustible corner of the globe. All dates below are in Eastern time. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Wednesday, June 11 Advertisement The first sign that conflict could be on the horizon came when families of U.S. troops began leaving the Middle East. 'They are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we'll see what happens,' Trump said as he arrived at the Kennedy Center for opening night of 'Les Misérables,' one of his favorite musicals. It wasn't clear whether Israel was preparing to strike, fulfilling years of threats to attack Iran's nuclear program, or if the movements were a feint to increase pressure for negotiations. The next round of talks between Washington and Tehran was just days away, and Trump was adamant about reaching a diplomatic solution. Advertisement Behind the scenes, the Israeli military operation was already taking shape. Thursday, June 12 Trump said an attack by Israel 'could very well happen.' But Iran still seemed to be taken by surprise. Around 8 p.m. in Washington, explosions in Tehran killed top military leaders and scientists. Multiple sites connected to Iran's nuclear program were also hit. Israel said 200 warplanes took part in the first wave of attacks. More damage was done with drones that Israeli spies had smuggled into the country, destroying air defenses and missile launchers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it as a 'targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel's very survival.' Although Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was for peaceful purposes, Israeli leaders claimed it was an imminent threat. Trump posted on social media that Friday, June 13 Iran retaliated against Israel with missiles and drones, many of which were shot down by air defenses. As Trump started his day in Washington, he seemed impressed by Israeli military prowess and his tone became more aggressive toward Iran. 'The United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come - And they know how to use it,' he But Trump suggested that diplomacy was his first choice, and urged Iran to make a deal. Saturday, June 14 Trump talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the morning, and they discussed the conflict between Israel and Iran. The next round of talks between the U.S. and Iran was canceled. Advertisement As Israel and Iran continued to trade strikes, Trump attended a military parade in Washington. It was the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, as well as his 79th birthday. The muscular display of American military might — tanks, troops, paratroopers and a 21-gun salute — played out in the nation's capital as the potential for a new conflict loomed. 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Netanyahu said Israeli strikes set back Iran's nuclear program a 'very, very long time.' However, the extent of the damage was unclear, and U.S. and Israeli officials believed only American planes with specially designed 'bunker buster' bombs had the capability to destroy nuclear sites buried deep underground. Advertisement After a single day at the G7 summit, the White House abruptly announced that Trump would leave early on a red-eye flight to Washington to meet with his national security team. Tuesday, June 17 Trump demanded Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER' in a post on social media and he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wanted 'a real end' to the conflict, not just a ceasefire. He expressed frustration with Iranian leaders for failing to reach an agreement. 'They should have done the deal. I told them, 'Do the deal,'' he said. 'So I don't know. I'm not too much in the mood to negotiate.' Trump also brushed off assessments from U.S. spy agencies that Iran hadn't decided to build a nuclear weapon. He insisted they were 'very close.' The sun had not yet risen when Trump arrived at the White House. He took part in a meeting in the Situation Room, but did not appear publicly. With little clarity on next steps, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters that 'I'm here to take questions, not necessarily answer them.' Wednesday, June 18 By this point, there was no question that Trump was considering joining Israel's attacks on Iran. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' he said that morning. 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do.' The president spoke to reporters while overseeing the installation of a massive new flagpole on the South Lawn of the White House, toggling back and forth between chatting up construction workers in hard hats and sizing up the Iranian nuclear threat. Later, in the Oval Office, Trump again suggested that the U.S. might get directly involved to thwart Iran's atomic ambitions. 'I'm not looking to fight,' he said. 'But if it's a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do.' Advertisement On Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers the Pentagon was presenting Trump with military options. Thursday, June 19 It was a federal holiday — Juneteenth — and much of Washington took the hot, steamy day off, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt scheduled a briefing nonetheless. She entered the briefing room to deliver a message from the president: He would decide within two weeks whether to become directly involved in Israel's war on Iran. Trump has long been known to toss out 'two week' deadlines for actions that never materialize, so the statement left people guessing on his next move. Friday, June 20 Trump convened another meeting of his national security advisers and then flew to his golf club in New Jersey, where he attended a political fundraiser in the evening. He talked to reporters briefly en route, long enough to say his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was 'wrong' when she previously said that the U.S. believed Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon. Saturday, June 21 Around midnight, the U.S. military operation began in secret: B-2 stealth bombers taking off from a base in Missouri. They headed east, over the Atlantic Ocean, refueling from airborne tankers along the way. It would take them 18 hours to reach Iran. A decoy flight went west, toward the Pacific. Trump returned to the White House from New Jersey around 6 p.m. Less than an hour later, American ordinance began exploding in Tehran. More than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were fired from a U.S. submarine. Fighter jets scanned for Iranian interceptors. The stealth bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs, marking the first time that the 30,000-pound weapon had been used in combat. Advertisement Trump announced the strikes on social media, saying it was a 'very successful attack and 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' In a brief national address from the White House, the president threatened to attack Iran again if there was any retaliation. 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said.
