Latest news with #IsraeliAmericans
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Body of Thai hostage recovered from Gaza, Israel says
Israel has retrieved the body of a Thai national taken hostage during the Hamas-led attack in October 2023, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz says. He said the body of Nattapong Pinta was retrieved during a special operation in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Friday. The 35-year-old was working as an agricultural labourer in southern Israel when he was kidnapped. Mr Nattapong is likely to have been killed during his first months of captivity, an Israeli military official said. Before the operation, it was not known whether he was dead or alive. It comes after the Israeli army recovered the bodies of two Israeli Americans in Gaza earlier this week. Mr Nattapong was the married father of a young son, the military official said. He had been working at Kibbutz Nir Oz to support his family in Thailand when he was captured by a militant group called the Mujahideen Brigades. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the mission to recover his body was launched following information from the interrogation of a "captured terrorist". After reports of his recovery on Saturday, the BBC tried to reach out to Mr Nattapong's wife. She did not answer the call but texted back with a picture of her son crying. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said the recovery comes after "20 terrible and agonising months of devastating uncertainty". The group urged the Israeli government to reach an agreement with Hamas to free the remaining captives. Mr Nattapong is believed to be the last remaining Thai national abducted during the 7 October 2023 attack. Five Thai hostages were released during a ceasefire earlier this year - all of them alive. The Israeli army retrieved the bodies of an elderly couple, Judy and Gadi Haggai, in the Gazan city of Khan Younis on Thursday. The couple were killed at the same kibbutz and their bodies were also held by the Mujahideen Brigades, according to the IDF. Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border attack almost 20 months ago, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Some 54 of those captured during the attack remain in captivity, including 31 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 54,677 people have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the territory's health ministry. Additional reporting by Thanyarat Doksone Israeli military recovers two hostages' bodies in southern Gaza The Thais caught up in the Israel-Gaza war
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Israeli Military Recovers Bodies of Two Hostages Taken in Oct. 7 Attack
Israeli security forces in the southern Gaza Strip recovered the bodies of two Israeli Americans who were killed in the Hamas-led October 2023 attack on Israel, the Israeli military said in a statement on Thursday. Judi Weinstein-Haggai and Gad Haggai were in their 70s when they were killed by members of a small Palestinian militant group, according to the Israeli military. Before Thursday's operation, theirs were among the remaining four bodies of dual Israeli American citizens still in the Gaza Strip.
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Flyer urging teachers to divest pension funds from Israel illegally distributed in NYC schools: ‘Violated trust'
A controversial antisemitic flyer urging teachers voting in union elections to back a campaign to divest pension funds from Israel was improperly distributed in some New York City public schools, The Post has learned. The incendiary petition circulated as two Israeli Embassy staffers were killed by a suspected terrorist in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. 'This UFT election season, vote for candidates who divest our pension from genocide,' the flyer said. Advertisement 3 The Post has learned that an antisemitic flyer urging teachers voting in union elections to divest pension funds from Israel was distributed across New York City public schools. 'Sign the petition to show UFT candidates that you will be voting with divestment in mind during the election.' Jewish civil rights groups such as the Anti-Defamation League said the economic boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is antisemitic because it seeks to undermine and destroy the world's only Jewish state. Advertisement Pro-Israel teachers said the handout had been distributed to at least three Manhattan schools: two in the same building on West 17th Street, the New York City Lab for Collaborative Studies Middle School and the Museum HS, as well as the Mosaic Preparatory Academy elementary school on East 111th Street, and at least one in the Bronx. Outraged teachers said the flyer has been handed out in schools by teachers claiming to be UFT officers, or who were not from their schools. 'I was definitely shocked. It violated the trust in the building. It came from a teacher from another school,' a staffer at the 17th Street building said. 'These are blood libels. They don't belong in the education space.' Advertisement Another teacher who requested anonymity said, 'As a Jewish educator, I was deeply troubled when receiving this letter with clear antisemitic undertones — especially in the wake of the tragic killing of two civilians targeted for being Jewish. 3 The flyer reads at the top, 'This UFT election season, vote for candidates who divest our pension from genocide.' AFP via Getty Images 'This act of hate is unacceptable. Our schools and communities must remain places of inclusion and respect for all.' Karen Feldman, co-founder of the New York City Public School Alliance, blasted the use of 'school channels to distribute political and antisemitic propaganda, especially during a union election.' Advertisement 'The materials were filled with false claims of genocide and hate-filled rhetoric that incites violence — just like the horrific murder of two Israeli Americans in DC just last night.' The UFT said distribution of politically charged flyers violated its rules for electioneering for its internal elections of officers. Candidates running for union positions are allowed to distribute campaign material about the slate they're running on — but not about other political issues. 3 A petition circulated not long after Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were shot and killed by suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night. AP 'The flyer is a political document. No one should be handing out political materials under the guise that it is campaign material in the union's internal election. It is not,' a spokesperson for the UFT and president Mike Mulgrew said. A rep for city Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said the flyers are being removed from schools. 'New York City Public Schools has the right and responsibility to prohibit the distribution of materials that can be perceived as disruptive and offensive to staff and students. These flyers, which were not created by New York City Public Schools, are clearly disruptive, and we are taking appropriate action to remove them,' a Department of Education spokesperson said. The anti-Israel advocates said the New York City Teacher Retirement has $135 million of pension funds invested in Israeli holdings. The flyer said the Israeli military has slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians and children since Oct. 7, 2023, citing the anti-Israel Al-Jazeera media outlet as a source. Advertisement It conveniently omits mentioning that was the date when Hamas' precipitated the war in Gaza by invading Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking scores of hostages — some of whom still have not been released. It's just the latest controversy regarding Israel-bashing literature spreading in schools. Last month, a Department of Education newsletter claiming Israel is committing 'genocide in Gaza' was sent out to hundreds of teachers — prompting fuming Jewish educators to call it out as another example of ingrained antisemitism in the city's public school system. In response, Chancellor Aviles-Ramos suspended release of mass communications sent to educators, students and parents without her approval.
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
What We Know About Talks for a Renewed Gaza Cease-Fire
Israel and Hamas both signaled over the weekend that efforts for a renewed cease-fire in Gaza were underway, less than two weeks after the breakdown of a temporary truce and the resumption of Israel's air and ground campaign against the militant group in the enclave. Hamas said on Saturday that it had accepted a proposal for a new cease-fire, which would see some hostages released from captivity in Gaza. Israel said it, too, had received a proposal via third-party mediators and had responded with a counterproposal in coordination with the United States. 'The military pressure is working,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Sunday in remarks at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting, adding that Israel was 'suddenly seeing cracks' in Hamas's position. Neither side published details of the proposal or the counterproposal, but an official briefed on the talks suggested that they broadly echoed previous proposals floated in recent weeks. While there was no indication that a breakthrough was imminent, the public statements suggested that after weeks of fruitless negotiations, contacts over a deal were continuing. What did Hamas say? Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official and negotiator, said in a speech on Saturday that his group had received a proposal two days earlier from Egyptian and Qatari mediators for a renewed cease-fire, adding that Hamas had 'responded positively and approved it.' He did not detail the terms, but recent negotiations, including an unusual round of direct talks between U.S. and Hamas officials, had focused on securing the release of Edan Alexander, the only Israeli American hostage still believed to be alive, as well as the bodies of four other Israeli Americans. That was a nonstarter for Israel, which had demanded the release of 10 or 11 living hostages for a seven-week extension of the temporary cease-fire, based on an earlier proposal it attributed to the White House Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. What did Israel say? After Mr. al-Hayya's speech on Saturday, Mr. Netanyahu said he had held a series of consultations on Friday after receiving the proposal, according to a statement from his office. Israel had sent a counterproposal to mediators a few hours earlier, the statement added. The official briefed on the talks, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss delicate diplomacy, said that Israel still sought the release of 10 living hostages for any resumption of the cease-fire and that Egypt was behind the latest proposal. Up to 24 living hostages remain in Gaza, according to Israel, along with the remains of another 35 people. They were among the roughly 250 people taken captive during the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 that ignited the war. What are the main sticking points? Beyond agreeing on the numbers of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released, any renewed cease-fire will most likely be elusive so long as the two sides remain at odds over more fundamental issues — including irreconcilable demands about the future of Gaza. Mr. al-Hayya said Hamas was committed to reaching an agreement that would guarantee a permanent cease-fire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, general terms that the sides had already agreed upon to extend the truce that ultimately collapsed. 'We do not want anything new,' Mr. al-Hayya said on Saturday. 'We want to respect what was signed, what the guarantors guaranteed, and what the international community approved.' Israel has conditioned ending the war on Hamas laying down its arms and relinquishing rule in Gaza. Mr. al-Hayya said the group's 'weapons of resistance' were a 'red line' as long as Israel occupies Palestinian land. What has changed? Israel and Hamas have each blamed the other for the collapse of the first phase of the cease-fire that came into effect in mid-January. But both are now facing heightened pressure to renew the truce. When the first phase of the cease-fire expired in early March, Israel halted the entry of all commercial goods and humanitarian aid into Gaza, worsening conditions for an already exhausted population in a bid to force Hamas into accepting a temporary extension of the cease-fire instead of negotiating a permanent one. More than 50,000 Gazans have been killed so far in the war, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, and much of the enclave is in ruins. Protests have since broken out against Hamas in Gaza. An activist in the protest movement said he was worried that Hamas may now accept another temporary cease-fire so that its security forces can come out of hiding and crack down on the protesters without fear of being attacked by Israel. Mr. Netanyahu has also come under domestic pressure. Many Israelis have accused him of failing to prioritize the hostages and prolonging the war in Gaza to keep far-right members of his ruling coalition on board to ensure his political survival. 'We are committed to bringing the hostages home,' Mr. Netanyahu said on Sunday, rejecting the popular criticism. 'The combination of military pressure and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that will bring the hostages back,' he added.
Boston Globe
09-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Israeli energy minister cuts off electricity to Gaza
Cohen's announcement came as negotiators and mediators prepared to discuss the cease-fire this week in Qatar. It follows Israel's decision this month to cut off humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza after the first stage of the original phased cease-fire expired. Advertisement How meaningful the latest pressure on Hamas will be is unclear, given the severe restrictions that have already been placed on electricity supply to Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that ignited the war in the Palestinian enclave, and in light of Palestinians' longstanding reliance on alternative energy supplies because of prewar restrictions. The decision's clearest effect was the disconnection, once again, of a waste water treatment plant in the enclave that had recently been operating on Israeli power. The Israel Electric Corp. said Sunday it was ordered to cut off the supply to that plant. Israel will send a delegation to Qatar on Monday to advance cease-fire negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement Saturday. President Trump's nominee as special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, participated in talks last week with Hamas officials, focused on securing the release of Israeli Americans who were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Only one of five Israeli Americans still held there is thought to be alive. Advertisement US officials are expected in the region this week to continue talks that have also been mediated by officials from Egypt and Qatar. A Hamas delegation also met in recent days with Egyptian mediators. In mid-January, after 15 months of devastating war, Israel and Hamas agreed to a complex, phased truce intended to free hostages taken from Israel and held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israel, and to build momentum toward a comprehensive cease-fire. But after the first phase ended March 1 without an agreement on the next stage, Israel suggested another temporary extension of the cease-fire and exchange of hostages. The Israeli government's decision to cut off the extremely limited supply of electricity it had been providing to the Gaza Strip could affect the continuing discussions. Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of Hamas's political bureau, condemned Israel's decision to cut off electricity in a statement Sunday, calling it a 'waste of time.' He accused Netanyahu of trying to disrupt the cease-fire agreement and endangering the hostages, saying there is no way forward 'but to commit to implementing the terms of the agreement and start negotiations for the second phase.' As it stands, Palestinians in Gaza have been living in what is essentially a blackout since the war began. Before the war, years of conflict and an Israeli and Egyptian economic blockade imposed to weaken Hamas had left Gaza's electrical grid weak, providing only limited hours of power each day. The territory had relied on a makeshift system, according to a 2023 report by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, an Israeli think tank at Bar-Ilan University. Half of the electricity was generated in Israel and half in Gaza from various sources, including a diesel-fueled power plant and private generators, as well as solar panels. Advertisement Since the war began, some Palestinians have been able to turn to generators or solar power, but fuel for generators is also in very short supply and restricted by Israel. Israel has said that Hamas has stockpiled the fuel that has entered the territory for its own purposes, including for launching missiles. This article originally appeared in
