Latest news with #HadarGoldin
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'No negotiations' scheduled to extend Israel-Hamas cease-fire, hostages release
March 1 (UPI) -- Israel and Hamas have not agreed to continue negotiations over the release of hostages held in Gaza, the Palestinian group confirmed on Saturday. The first phase of an agreement, which included a cease-fire, ended Saturday. Hamas leaders said it rejected "Israel's formulation" to prolong the current first phase of the hostage release deal. Last week, Hamas returned the final six hostages agreed to under the deal's first phase. Israel delayed the release of 620 Palestinian prisoners until Thursday after accusing Hamas of violating terms of the cease-fire between the two sides. Also Thursday, the bodies of four Israeli hostages were returned. "[Israel] aims to recover its captives while maintaining the possibility of resuming aggression against the Gaza Strip, which contradicts the terms of the agreement," a Hamas spokesperson told CNN Saturday in an interview . "Extending the first phase in the manner proposed by the occupation is unacceptable to us." The spokesperson also said "no negotiations" are currently underway. Israel has so far released 1,135 prisoners over the course of six exchanges since the first phase of the cease-fire began Jan. 25. Hamas has set 25 living Israeli hostages free. It is believed 63 Israeli hostages are still being held by Hamas in the Palestinian enclave. Israeli officials believe 32 of those are dead, including Israel Defense Forces soldier Hadar Goldin who was captured in 2014. Hamas on Saturday evening released a video apparently showing Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded harshly on social media. "The Hamas terrorist organization has, this evening, disseminated another cruel propaganda video in which our hostages are forced to engage in psychological warfare. Israel will not be deterred by Hamas propaganda," Netanyahu said on X. "We will continue to act relentlessly for the return of all of our hostages and until all objectives of the war are met."
CNN
26-02-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Following delay, Israel agrees to release Palestinian detainees in new exchange as fragile Gaza ceasefire appears intact
Days after Israel failed to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange for six hostages held in Gaza, the government has agreed to a new exchange, according to an Israeli source and Hamas, indicating the fragile ceasefire remains intact for now. The Egyptian-brokered agreement between Hamas and Israel will see the exchange of the final four bodies of hostages due to be released in the first phase of the ceasefire deal for the 620 Palestinian prisoners and detainees that should have been freed last Saturday, according to the Israeli source. Among the detainees are 23 children and one woman. Israel had delayed their release in protest of what it said is the cruel treatment of hostages during their release by Hamas and demanding guarantees that future hostage releases would take place without 'humiliating ceremonies.' Advocates for Palestinians prisoners and detainees, in turn, have expressed repeated concerns about the delay, and Israel's treatment of those held in detention. The Palestinian Prisoner's Society says 69 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli detention since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, of whom 38 were detained in Gaza. Hamas released six Israeli hostages from Gaza on Saturday in two public ceremonies and one private transfer, in what was the final return of living hostages in the first phase of a ceasefire deal that began last month. Hamas accused Israel of violating the truce with the delay, casting some uncertainty over the precarious ceasefire deal, and said talks on a second phase would not be possible until they are freed. Hamas confirmed that an agreement with Israel had been made through Egyptian mediators, but did not specify how many Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and detainees would be released. An Egyptian official confirmed the agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached, according to a statement by the Egyptian government's media office. The Israeli official confirmed to CNN that the release of the remains of four hostages held in Gaza could happen as early as Wednesday evening. Hamas and its allies continue to hold 63 hostages in Gaza. At least 32 of those are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government – one of whom, the soldier Hadar Goldin, has been held since 2014. The 42-day truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire this weekend unless an agreement is struck to extend it. The two sides were meant to begin talks on a permanent end to the war in early February, but those discussions have not begun yet. The latest agreement between Israel and Hamas came as mourners in southern Israel lined the streets ahead of a funeral Wednesday for Shiri Bibas and her two young sons Kfir and Ariel, who were taken hostage in the October 7 Hamas-led attack and killed in Gaza. Their bodies were returned to Israel last week under the ceasefire arrangement. The Bibas family invited the public to gather along the funeral route to pay their respects to the two children and their mother ahead of a private ceremony near their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel. At just nine months, Kfir was the youngest person kidnapped and held hostage in Gaza. Along with his brother, Ariel, who was four, they became prominent symbols of the plight of the hostages held in Gaza throughout the war. Their father Yarden Bibas, who was also taken hostage, was released on February 1 after 484 days of captivity as part of the ceasefire agreement. The return of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel's bodies last week caused much pain and consternation in Israel after the remains of Kfir and Ariel were returned without their mother, as promised, but rather with the body of an unidentified Palestinian woman – a development which threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire agreement. Shiri's remains were later returned to Israel. Crowds gathered along the funeral route held Israeli and yellow flags, symbolizing the campaign to bring the hostages home, as a procession for the two young boys and their mother passed. 'We are accompanied by the people of Israel in droves,' the Bibas family said in a statement shared by the Israeli hostage families forum. 'We see and hear you' and 'are moved and strengthened by you,' it said. This story has been updated with additional information. CNN's Mostafa Salem and Helen Regan contributed to this report.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hamas hands over final 6 hostages under first phase of cease-fire in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners
Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Six living hostages are back home in Israel after Hamas released them in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisons on Saturday. Hamas has now released all 25 living Israeli hostages as the first phase of the agreement ended. The cease-fire began Jan. 25. Hamas and its allies continue to hold 63 Israeli hostages in Gaza. At least 32 of those are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government. Hadar Goldin, a soldier, has been held since 2014. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the freed hostages "return from the depths of hell to begin the process of healing and recovery alongside their loving families, who fought with all their strength for them." He said the "completion of a hostage deal is a humanitarian, moral, and Jewish imperative." Hostage details Two hostages were captured about a decade ago and the other four were taken during the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The hostages released Saturday were in stages, and they received medical assessments before being reunited with their families. Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were first turned over to Red Cross officials in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Shoham was kidnapped from kibbutz Be'eri with his two children, his wife and mother-in-law, all of whom were released in November 2023. Mengistu, who is an Israeli from Ashkelon, crossed into Gaza in 2014 and was captured. Shoam's family said: "This is an unforgettable moment, where all emotions are rapidly mixing together. Our Tal is with us." A video showed Mengistu meeting family members upon arrival at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv. He was captive for 3,821 days. His family said: "Ten years and five months of unimaginable suffering have passed for our family. During this time, relentless efforts were made to bring him back - prayers and cries, some silent, that went unanswered until today." Then, in a separate location in Nuseirat, central Gaza, three hostages, Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23, were released. Thousands, including Hamas fighters, gathered. Children appeared on the stage wearing shirts with photographs of killed Hamas leaders. They were kidnapped at the Nova music festival near the border with Gaza. Though they were thin, their condition conditions were better than previously freed hostages. Wenkert was seen in video footage reuniting with his parents, Niva and Shai, at an Israeli Defenses Force facility near the Gaza border, after 505 days in Hamas captivity. Shem Tov blew a kiss toward the crowd. His family said "thank you to God, to the people of Israel for their prayers, strength, and love. Thank you to the soldiers who sacrificed for this moment, to everyone involved in the negotiations and diplomatic effort. "We will continue to fight together with all the families and the Hostages Families Forum, Our lives are intertwined until everyone returns." Cohen's family said it is "overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude," and had no information about his condition until he was released. "This moment, which should be filled with joy, is also accompanied by pain over what he endured there, and for the families of those killed in the war," the family said. "Finally, Eliya can be surrounded by his loved ones, his family, and his girlfriend, and begin a new path." Hisham al-Sayed, 37, an Arab-Israeli from a Bedouin community in southern Israel who walked into Gaza in 2015, went to the Red Cross in Gaza City, according to an Israeli security source and a Hamas source. The family of Al-Sayad, who spent more than 3,600 days in captivity, said: "After nearly a decade of fighting for his return, the long-awaited moment has finally arrived. We extend our gratitude to the entire people of Israel, who stood by us and supported us over the years. A special thanks to the families of the hostages and the headquarters that embraced us and saw us as a natural part of the struggle to bring everyone home." Prisoner details Of the 600 prisoners and detainees, 50 had been serving life sentences, another 60 long ones and 445 were destined since the war, according to the Palestinians Prisoners Office. The Palestinians Prisoners Office said on Saturday that it had received the list of some 600 prisoners and detainees expected to be freed in return. Of those, 50 had been serving life sentences, 60 had been serving long sentences, while 445 were detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023. At the European Hospital in Khan Younis, families awaited the arrival of the buses of the Red Cross. More than 100 Palestinian women and children under the age of 19 were released. Second phase Israel and Hamas are conducting negotiations to extend the cease-fire, which ends Saturday. The second phase could include Hamas the release of remaining Israeli hostages, alive and dead, in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas on Saturday signaled it is prepared to hand over all remaining Israeli hostages, alive and dead. Hamas said In a statement it seeks a "comprehensive exchange process" that will lead to a "permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of the occupation." Alon Pinkas, former ambassador and consul general of Israel in New York, told Al Jazeera, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "is not interested in phase two. This phase will include Israeli force reduction in Gaza on day 42, which is a week from now. On day 50, it includes not just a force reduction, but a withdrawal. "Politically, he can afford neither the withdrawal nor the official end of the war." Body returned Friday night On Friday night, the remains of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday night, after an outcry over Hamas having released the wrong body. Bibas' remains were to be among those of four hostages returned by Hamas on Thursday, alongside her sons, Kfir and Ariel, and another captive, Oded Lifshitz. But forensic tests by Israeli authorities confirmed those remains were two boys and Lifshitz, the fourth body was not that of Shiri Bibas - and nor did it match that of any other Israeli hostage. "Last night, our Shiri was brought home. After the identification process at the Institute for Forensic Medicine, we received the news this morning that we had feared: our Shiri was murdered in captivity," said a statement from her family provided by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Saturday. Another four hostage bodies are scheduled to be released next week.
