Israel at war: What happened on day 54?
Qatar, US pushing to extend ceasefire beyond Thursday morning. Hamas says they're ready to resume combat with Israel if ceasefire expires.
Israel-Hamas deal: These are the 12 hostages released on Wednesday
An additional two Russian citizens were released by Hamas on Wednesday.
Israel has confirmed the identities of the 10 hostages who were released on Wednesday evening, after 53 days of being held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
An additional two Russian citizens were released by Hamas on Wednesday.
Raya Rotem
Raya Rotem, 54, mother to Hila Rotem, was taken captive by Hamas terrorists during an attack on their community in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7. This attack resulted in the death of an estimated 10% of the residents and the kidnapping of dozens of people.
She was hiding in her safe room with her daughter that morning and sent a message to Raya's brother at 12:05 p.m., informing him that they were being abducted and taken to Gaza.
This was the last communication anyone had with Raya or Hila.
It wasn't confirmed that they were Hamas hostages until October 29 when their family was informed that they were officially captives in Gaza.
Raz Ben Ami
Raz Ben Ami, 55, and Ohad, 57, were abducted from their home by Hamas in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7 during a violent attack.
One of their daughters, Ela, survived and communicated with her father until his abduction.
Both Ohad and Raz were later photographed being pulled by terrorists, and Raz, who has a serious illness, requires medication for pain management, making her situation critical.
Yarden Roman, 36, was also among those released.
Liat Beinin Atzili
American-born couple Liat Beinin Atzili and Aviv Atzili, 49, have been missing from Kibbutz Nir Oz since October 7. Aviv left in the early morning as part of the security response team when Hamas terrorists entered the kibbutz, while Liat remained in their safe room, last contacting a friend at 11:30 a.m.
Aviv's phone was tracked to Gaza, and their house was found burned, though without signs of struggle.
Aviv's mother, Telma Atzili, 78, hid for 10 hours during the attack and is now in Eilat with her grandchildren.
Liam Or
Liam Or, 18, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists along with his cousins and uncle from their home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7.
Ofir Engel
Ofir Engel, 17, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists when they attacked his kibbutz on October 7. The Engel family has been missing since then, with the last known communication being with Ofir's mother and her sister when she told her that there were terrorists in their home.
The family's phones were traced to Gaza, and while there were no signs of violence in their home and their dog was alive, their fate remains uncertain.
Amit Shani
Amit Shani, 16, was staying at his mother's home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7 when seven Hamas terrorists came into the home and kidnapped him from his room.
According to Amit's father who spoke to BringThemHomeNow, Amit, his mother, and his two sisters were hiding in the safe room when the terrorists came in, threatened them at gunpoint, grabbed Amit, and pushed him into a vehicle with two other hostages.
Gali Tarshansky
Gali Tarshansky, 13, was kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7. Gali and her older brother Lior were hiding in the saferoom when Hamas terrorists came in, killed Lior, and kidnapped Gali. Her dog Moka was also killed.
Yarden Roman, 36
Yarden Roman was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri the morning after she returned to Israel to celebrate Simchat Torah after a trip abroad with her husband, daughter, and sister. Yarden, husband Alon, and daughter Geffen hid in their family's safe room until terrorists broke into their home and loaded them into a car. As they approached the Gaza border, the terrorists paused for a moment, and Alon and Yarden escaped. She handed Geffen to her husband, and the two of them made it to safety, while Yarden was recaptured and abducted to Gaza.
Itay Regev, 18
Itay Regev, from Herzliya, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his sister Maya, who was released on Saturday. The morning of the attack, Maya called their father, and screamed, "Dad, they're shooting at me, I'm dead." Itay was later seen in a Hamas video, handcuffed in the back of a vehicle.
Moran Stela Yanai, 40
Moran Yanai, a jewelry designer, was selling her work at the Nova festival on October 7. She made several frightened calls to her parents the morning of the attack, who then lost contact. A video later surfaced showing terrorists taking Yanai from a ditch where she was hiding. Family have described her to media as a caretaker of her elderly parents and a committed animal-rescue activist.
Yelena Trupanob and Irena Tati
Yelena Trupanob and Irena Tati, two dual Russian-Israeli citizens, were taken hostage by Hamas from their home in Nir Oz on October 7. Hamas stated on Wednesday afternoon that they were released as a gesture to Russian President Vladimir Putin in addition to the 10 Israelis released as part of the ceasefire deal on Wednesday.
Trupanob's son Sasha and Sasha's partner, Sapir Cohen, are still being held hostage by Hamas. Trupanob's husband, Vitaly, was murdered on October 7.
IDF arrests senior Hamas operatives in the city of Tubas
The IDF made arrests on Thursday morning of senior Hamas operatives in the city of Tubas in northeastern West Bank.
Hamas says Israel rejected proposed hostage release to extend truce
Gaza's ruling Hamas group said Israel declined to receive seven women and child hostages and the bodies of three others who the terrorists said were killed during Israel's bombardment of the enclave in exchange for a temporary truce extension on Thursday.
"This is despite confirming through mediators that this group is all the (Hamas) movement has in terms of detainees in the agreed-upon category," Hamas said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
A truce between Israel and Hamas was due to expire at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT).
Go to the full article >>Hamas says they're ready 'to resume fighting with Israel if ceasefire expires'
Hamas has stated early Thursday morning that they are ready to resume fighting with Israel if the ceasefire expires at 7 a.m.
"The Al-Qassam Brigades asks its active forces to maintain high combat readiness in the last hours of the ceasefire," the statement said.
This is a developing story.
Ten Israelis, four Thais released on Wednesday handed over to Red Cross
The ten Israeli hostages that are set to be released on Wednesday have been handed over to the Red Cross, Hebrew media reported.
Another four Thai hostages are also set to be released in addition, according to an IDF spokesperson, who also stated that all 14 that were released are being accompanied by the IDF and Shin Bet back into Israel, Walla reported.
The IDF later stated that the hostages are being transported from the Hatzor Airbase to hospitals where they will be reunited with their families.
'If Hamas doesn't release new hostage list by 7 a.m., fight will continue - Israeli officials
Senior Israeli officials stated that if Hamas does not release a new list of hostages to be freed by 7 a.m. on Thursday, the fighting would continue, Hebrew media reported.
This is after Hamas sent Israel a list of those set to be released that doesn't meet the Israeli war cabinet's requirements.
The hostages Hamas offered to release on Thursday, according to a report by Maariv, were people other than women and children or the release of less than 10 hostages.
Health Ministry: Released hostage arrived at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
The Health Ministry informed early Thursday morning about the arrival of a female hostage who was released and arrived at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
"The medical teams and professionals at the hospital are prepared to receive her and to do as much as is necessary to provide medical, psychological and any other needs that may be required," the hospital said.
Health Ministry: Red Cross behaves insensitively, need an org. that gives families hope
Israeli Health Minister Uriel Busso posted on X on Thursday criticizing the Red Cross.
"It is not enough that the Red Cross flaunts its feathers in the outline of the release of the hostages from Hamas captivity, now it also refuses and ignores with complete insensitivity to transfer and make information available regarding the safety of the hostages," he wrote.
Bosso also added that "the time has come to speak with a clear voice, Hamas is a terrorist organization that slaughtered and kidnapped children, women, and the elderly. We need an organization that will protect and give hope to the families of the hostages, and provide medical information, any other conduct is consent and support for terrorism."
Biden, Netanyahu disagree regarding continuation of IDF activity in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated to US President Joe Biden that there is a need to launch a military operation in southern Gaza, in order to destroy the terrorist organization Hamas, US media reported.
Biden then told the Israeli leader that it is not possible to operate in the southern Gaza Strip, in the same manner as the forces operated in the north, the report quoted him as saying.
Prime Minister Netanyahu prepares to restart war as the end of pause nears
The IDF said it believes some 159 hostages are still in Gaza.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised the Gaza war would resume as the war cabinet discussed hostage releases, and Doha attempted to mediate a series of agreements that could extend the temporary ceasefire, whose deadline was set to expire on Thursday morning.
“In recent days I have heard a question: After completing this stage of the return of our hostages, will Israel go back to the fighting? My answer is an unequivocal yes,” said Netanyahu.
“There is no situation in which we do not go back to fighting until the end. This is my policy. The entire security cabinet is behind it. The entire government is behind it. The soldiers are behind it. The people are behind it – this is exactly what we will do,” he stated.
Senior Hamas member Osama Hamdan told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen TV that the “resistance has prepared itself for all possibilities after the end of the ceasefire. If the occupation carries out any aggression, the resistance is ready, and if the calm continues, we will continue the calm.”
They spoke as Israel hit a critical juncture concerning the hostage deals and the war, which has been on hold since Friday morning.
In the intervening days, 65 Israeli hostages had been welcomed home to huge fanfare, in five groups over five nights, which have almost become a nightly ritual of joy at the return of the captives from Gaza, where they have been held since Hamas and other terror groups seized them during its October 7 attack and sadness at the absence of those still held in the enclave.
The IDF said it believes some 159 hostages are still in Gaza.
Two Israeli-Russian captives returned to Israel on Wednesday but the release of an additional 10 Israelis slated to be freed – five women and five children – which had been expected to go smoothly early in the evening was delayed for unspecified reasons and appeared to be finally underway close to midnight.
The families of the 10 had already been notified and were awaiting their loved ones. While the focus was on the hostage return, there was no simultaneous announcement of an additional mini-hostage deal that would extend the lull in the Gaza war beyond Thursday morning.
Secretary of State Blinken speaks
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters the US wanted to see the lull in Gaza extended, as he spoke in Brussels before he arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday where he will meet with Israel’s war cabinet.
“I expect to take that up tomorrow when I’m in Israel meeting with the government. And again, we have other colleagues in the government who are intensely working on that,” Blinken said.
“We’d like to see the pause extended because what it has enabled first and foremost is hostages being released, coming home, being reunited with their families.
“So its continuation, by definition, means that more hostages would be coming home,” he said.
“Clearly, that’s something we want, and I believe it’s also something that Israel wants. They’re also intensely focused on bringing their people home. So we’re working on that. As you know, we’re working on that every single day,” Blinken stressed.
Special presidential envoy for hostage affairs Roger Carstens is also expected to visit Israel on Thursday.
There are some eight Americans who are among the captives.
Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating indirect talks between Hamas and Israel in Doha with the help of the US are reportedly working on two deals simultaneously.
The larger and more significant one could include the release of all the remaining 159 hostages and an end to the Gaza war that began when Hamas killed over 1,200 people when it infiltrated Israel on October 7.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari appeared to publicly confirm these efforts during a conversation with CNN.
“Our negotiations regarding women and children take a paramount position within the discussions, but obviously we are moving towards civilian men being released,” Ansari said as he referenced the larger deal.
But for Qatar to focus on that larger deal it first has to extend the lull in the fighting beyond Thursday morning.
Such an arrangement could see the release of 20 to 30 Israelis over the next two to three days through an extension of an existing deal, leaving slightly less than 139 or 149 in captivity by Saturday or Sunday.
The initial deal that went into effect on Friday has sought to secure the release of all 98 women and children in Gaza.
The initial release was based on three formulas. Ten Israeli hostages are worth 24 hours of a lull in the Gaza war, which has been paused since Friday morning to allow for captive releases. For every day the Gaza war is on hold, at least 200 trucks of humanitarian aid can enter the Strip.
For every Israeli woman or child captive freed, Israel would release three jailed Palestinian women and minors held on security-related offenses. To date, some 180 such prisoners have been freed and another 30 are set to be released once the ten Israeli hostages are home.
Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA chief William Burns, and Egyptian intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Abbas Kamel were in Qatar to discuss the matter on Tuesday.
Barnea and Burns have sought to extend the initial deal and simultaneously put in place a new one to deal with male hostages, five female soldiers, and those who have perished.
That second larger deal under discussion would allow for those 150 Israeli captives, out of the 240 hostages Hamas seized during its infiltration of southern Israel on October 7, to be freed.
An article about the potential deal published in The Washington Post on Wednesday said the new deal would separate the remaining hostages into five categories. This would be men who are too old for reserve duty, male reservists, men serving in the army, the five fable soldiers, and those who have perished.
It’s expected that the government could support a deal for the release of all the hostages, even if it includes the release of Palestinian men jailed for serious terror offenses.
The breaking point is expected to be any inclusion in the deal of an end to the Gaza war. Israel has been clear about its intention to resume its military campaign to oust Hamas from Gaza once the hostages are freed. Hamas, in turn, wants to free hostages in exchange for an end to the war.
Ceasefire efforts have “not yet matured,” Hamdan said.
“What has been presented to us so far to extend the ceasefire, we do not find worthy of study,” added Hamdan, stressing that Hamas would only accept the end of the war, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Hamdan stated that Hamas would only speak about the release of soldiers held hostage if the war was ended.
Many in the international community, however, have focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, caused by the war including the high death toll. Hamas has asserted that some 14,800 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in war-related violence.
Blinken is expected to press Israel on both points during his visit on Thursday.
The temporary ceasefire has allowed about 800 aid trucks to enter Gaza, and the first of three US planes with humanitarian supplies for Gaza landed in Egypt on Tuesday.
UN aid chief Martin Griffiths was to travel to the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday to discuss opening the Kerem Shalom crossing to allow for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from Israel.
Located at the intersection of Israel, the Gaza Strip, and Egypt, the Kerem Shalom crossing transported more than 60% of the aid going into Gaza before the current conflict.
Aid for Gaza now comes through the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, which was designed for pedestrian crossings and not trucks.
Reuters and Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.
Go to the full article >>Israel-Hamas War: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities