500th day of war: Israel working to release remaining phase one hostages this week

The security cabinet convened Monday evening to discuss the second phase of the hostage deal. 

There is a "reasonable chance" that more than three hostages will be released on Saturday, Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post.

In exchange, Israel will allow caravans to enter Gaza within the week. 

This is a developing story.

Family members of hostage David Cunio received a sign of life, Israeli media reported Monday.

Cunio was kidnapped with his family from Nir Oz on October 7. Cunio's brother, Ariel, is also being held captive by Hamas. 

Cunio's wife, Sharon, and their daughters, Emma and Yuli, were kidnapped on October 7 as well and were returned to Israel after 52 days in the first hostage-ceasefire agreement in November 2023. 

On October 7, terrorists burned down the Cunio family home. Cunio escaped the house with his daughter Yuli and was captured by terrorists. 

Israel is expecting to receive likely four bodies of hostages murdered by Hamas on Thursday, the Jerusalem Post learned on Monday.

Hamas will hand over the names of the hostages who were killed in captivity in the morning on Thursday, according to reports by KAN. IDF vehicles will then wait for details of a meeting point and from there they will be taken for identification.

On Sunday night, soldiers from the Paratroopers brigade and the Yahalom unit, destroyed underground terrorist infrastructure used by Hezbollah's "Radwan Force" unit, the IDF announced on Monday.

The structure, which was discovered a few weeks ago in southern Lebanon, extended for dozens of meters and contained living quarters and combat equipment.
 

How is it possible to think of the future when the war is still ongoing, hostages still remain in Gaza, and some people will never return? Emily Hand, who was released from Hamas captivity in the November 2023 hostage-ceasefire deal, asked at the Teacher's Union convention in Tel Aviv on Monday? 

Ten-year-old Hand, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be'eri during the October 7 massacre, spoke at the conference to an Artificial Intelligence chatbot, asking for help to imagine the future. 

In the conversation, Hand explained how she did not wish to speak of the past, missing her kibbutz, her friends, and those she lost. 

Most residents across the 45 communities in the Tekuma region and the city of Sderot have returned home, according to data published by the Tekuma directorate on Monday.

The information is part of the latest data published by the directorate on rehabilitation efforts and the return of residents to their communities, marking 500 days since the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel. 

According to the report, NIS 7 billion from the directorate’s five-year NIS 19 billion budget was invested in 2024, with approximately NIS 1.1 billion allocated to the 10 communities most severely affected.

Saudi Arabia could play a key role in a potential mediation between the US and Iran, CNN reported on February 16. The report is interesting because Riyadh is also positioned to play a role in Russia-Ukraine talks. This would increase the profile of Saudi Arabia after years of struggle to maintain its role in the region and globally.

Other countries, such as Qatar, have sought to supplant Riyadh’s key role in global affairs by positioning themselves as brokers. For instance, Qatar helped pave the way for the Taliban’s return to power and received “major non-NATO ally” status from the US, even as Doha hosted Hamas. Riyadh, by contrast, expelled extremists and sought closer ties with the West but was given the cold shoulder.

During the first Trump administration, Riyadh hosted an Arab Islamic summit of various countries, and US President Donald Trump gave a speech in Saudi Arabia in May 2017. The next month, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE broke relations with Qatar, an event known as the Qatar diplomatic crisis.