What is going on in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza?
Bodies of slain hostages Oded Lifshitz, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas to be returned • IAF strikes weapons belonging to old Syrian regime in southern Syria
Jewish burial amid tragedy: Halachic questions surrounding the return of hostage bodies
With the bodies of hostages set to return home, Jewish law raises complex questions—when to mourn, how to bury, and what to do when the remains are incomplete.
Ahead of the return of the bodies of the four slain hostages on Thursday, and four more next week, much focus has been on where and how they will be identified.
But aside from the forensics, there has been little discussion of the Jewish questions raised about the slain hostage bodies being returned, some of whom may have been killed a long time ago.
Here we explore the answers to key questions, such as whether autopsies are permitted under Jewish law, when to sit the shiva mourning period and how to calculate a yahrzeit if the date of death is unknown and whether a body can be buried if it is not complete.
Go to the full article >>'Identification may not be feasible,' says forensic chief ahead of slain hostages' return
The identification process will be led by Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the forensic institute and a globally recognized forensic expert.
The identification of the slain hostages who have been held in captivity for a long time may not be feasible, Dr. Chen Kugel, director of L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir, said on Wednesday.
Dr. Kugel's comments come ahead of the expected return of four bodies as part of Israel's hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas, which the terror group held for over 500 days since the October 7 Hamas attacks in 2023.
Go to the full article >>WHO says polio mass vaccination campaign to resume in Gaza
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that a mass campaign to vaccinate children against polio in Gaza would resume on Saturday, with over half a million children targeted.
Go to the full article >>Egypt's Sisi says it is important to reconstruct Gaza without displacing Palestinians
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the international community on Wednesday during a press conference with Spain's prime minister in Madrid to adopt a plan to reconstruct war-torn Gaza without displacing Palestinians.
Go to the full article >>Israel begins to bring caravans, heavy machinery into the Gaza Strip
Israel began to bring military caravans and heavy machinery into the Gaza Strip early Wednesday afternoon.
The numbers entering for now "are minimal," according to an Israeli source.
Go to the full article >>One killed in drone strike in southern Lebanon - report
One person was killed in a drone strike in southern Lebanon, the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese news channel Al Mayadeen reported.
This is a developing story.
Go to the full article >>UAE president tells US's Rubio that UAE rejects displacement of Palestinians from their land
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday that the UAE rejects the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, state news agency WAM reported.
Go to the full article >>Hostage families request PM clarifies lack of progress on second phase talks
Hostage families requested on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarify the lack of progress in the negotiations of the second phase of the hostage-ceasefire deal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
"The announcement of the early return of hostages as soon as this coming Shabbat is clear proof that it is possible to expedite the timetable and bring everyone back in a much shorter time frame," the families wrote.
Go to the full article >>IDF to conduct siren tests in Tzofit
The IDF's Home Front Command is set to conduct siren tests in Tzofit at 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday, the military announced.
The IDF emphasized that if an actual alert were to occur during the test, an additional siren would sound, accompanied by alerts through the Home Front Command application and other notification systems.
Go to the full article >>Sign of life received for hostage Eitan Horn
The family of hostage Eitan Horn received a new sign of life from him, according to Israeli media on Wendesday.
Horn was held with his brother Iair, who was released from Hamas captivity last Saturday.
Go to the full article >>Israel at 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 at the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities.
- 73 hostages remain in Gaza.
- 49 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says.
- The IDF launched a ground invasion of Lebanon on September 30.
- The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire came into effect on November 27 at 4:00 a.m.
- Netanyahu confirmed the first phase of the Israel-Hamas Ceasefire on January 17, 2025
- 735 terrorists will be released as part of the hostage deal