Israeli hostages

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Militants Return Remains of 1 of Last 4 Slain Hostages

First phase of ceasefire deal is almost complete

(Newser) - Israel said Thursday that militants have handed over the body of one of the last four remaining hostages taken during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that launched the war in Gaza. Israel identified the returned body as that of Meny Godard, who was abducted from Kibbutz Be'eri in southern...

Hamas Returns Body of Last American Hostage in Gaza

Itay Chen, 19, was killed fighting in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023

(Newser) - Hamas has returned the body of the last deceased American hostage in Gaza, 19-year-old Israeli-American soldier Itay Chen, bringing a measure of closure to families whose relatives were seized during the group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Chen, who also held German citizenship, was killed fighting alongside his...

Israel: Hamas-Returned Remains Aren't of 3 Hostages

Yet another setback for the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire

(Newser) - The remains of three people handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross this week don't belong to any of the hostages, Israel said Saturday, the latest development that could undermine the US-brokered agreement for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. The handover followed Israel's return on Friday...

Red Cross: Hamas' Latest Move Is 'Unacceptable'

Humanitarian group, Israel say militants staged fake recovery of Israeli hostage's remains in Gaza

(Newser) - Israel is claiming that Hamas staged the recovery of a hostage's body in Gaza, alleging that the militant group is manipulating the process for political gain and further straining a fragile ceasefire. Israeli officials released drone footage they say shows Hamas burying the body of Ofir Tzarfati, a 27-year-old...

Netanyahu: Returned Remains a 'Clear Violation' of Ceasefire

Israeli PM says Hamas sent back body parts of a hostage already recovered almost 2 years ago

(Newser) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the remains of a hostage returned by Hamas overnight are body parts of another hostage who was recovered in Gaza by Israeli troops almost two years ago—an announcement that threatened to rattle the tenuous US-brokered ceasefire. Under the truce, Hamas is expected...

Hamas Has Now Handed Over Remains of 13 Dead Hostages

15 remain in Gaza as Israel pushes militant group to act faster

(Newser) - The body of a thirteenth hostage was turned over to Israel by Hamas Monday night, leaving the remains of 15 hostages still in Gaza, the Times of Israel reports. The release of the body of Tal Haimi, 41, who was killed while defending Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the Oct. 7,...

Israel Identifies the Remains of Another Hostage

76-year-old Eliyahu Margalit is the 10th body returned by Hamas, with 18 left to find

(Newser) - Israel says the remains of another hostage that Hamas handed over the day before have been identified as Eliyahu Margalit, reports the AP , as the Palestinian militant group looks for more bodies under the rubble in the Gaza Strip and urges more aid to be allowed into the embattled enclave....

Israel Receives Bodies of 2 More Hostages

Though remains have not been identified yet

(Newser) - Israel received the remains of two more hostages Wednesday, hours after the Israeli military said that one of the bodies previously turned over was not that of a hostage . The confusion added to tensions over the fragile truce that has paused the two-year war. The coffins carrying the remains were...

Hamas Says It Has Done All It Can to Return Bodies

Trump calls search for hostages' remains in Gaza a 'gruesome process'

(Newser) - Hamas says it has done what it can in returning Israeli hostages' remains but claims it needs special equipment to recover any more bodies, potentially putting its fragile ceasefire with Israel on the line. The Israeli military said the two caskets believed to contain the remains of hostages were...

IDF: Of 8 Remains We've Received, One Wasn't a Hostage

Hamas has yet to comment

(Newser) - A body returned to Israel by Hamas under President Trump's ceasefire deal is not that of any known hostage, the Israeli military said Wednesday. The IDF said forensic tests confirmed the body delivered Tuesday does not match any of the 28 hostages believed to have died in Gaza. The...

4 More Bodies of Israeli Hostages Expected to Be Released Soon

7 of the 8 released so far have been identified

(Newser) - Israel on Wednesday identified more bodies of dead hostages that were handed over by Hamas a day earlier to ease pressure on a fragile ceasefire in its war with Israel. The handover came after an Israeli military agency warned it would slash aid deliveries to Gaza as the militant group...

Israel Cuts Gaza Aid in Clash Over Hostage Remains

'The job IS NOT DONE,' Trump says

(Newser) - Israel is pressuring Hamas to return the remains of hostages still believed to be in Gaza, but the widespread devastation in the territory is making the process difficult. Under the ceasefire agreement, Hamas was supposed to immediately return all remaining bodies, but on Monday, only four of the 28 dead...

'You Are Coming Home!' All Israeli Hostages Are Freed

The 20 are being reunited with their families as part of ceasefire deal

(Newser) - All 20 of the living hostages held by Hamas are free. The militant group released them on Monday as part of the ceasefire deal brokered last week by the US, reports the AP . In exchange, Israel began sending busloads of freed Palestinian prisoners to the West Bank city of Ramallah,...

Release of Israeli Hostages, Palestinian Prisoners Is Nigh

As more aid streams into Gaza

(Newser) - A ceasefire in the war in Gaza was holding for the third day on Sunday as aid agencies worked to rush in more desperately needed aid to the besieged territory under the truce deal. Preparations were also underway for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners...

Israeli Military Says Ceasefire Is in Effect
Ceasefire Takes Hold in Gaza
Oct 10, 2025 6:01 AM CDT

Ceasefire Takes Hold in Gaza

Thousands of Palestinians return to northern Gaza after Israeli troops pull back

(Newser) - Palestinians began returning to the north of Gaza on Friday after Israel's military said a ceasefire was in effect and its forces were shifting positions inside the territory as part of the agreement. The ceasefire at noon local time came after the Israeli government approved the deal early...

What Happens Next With the Gaza Deal, Hostages
What Happens Next
With the Gaza Deal, Hostages
the rundown
Oct 9, 2025 6:09 AM CDT

What Happens Next With the Gaza Deal, Hostages

Captives may be freed Sunday or Monday, and Trump is expected to travel to Israel

(Newser) - The broad strokes of a deal between Israel and Hamas has been struck, one that holds promise for the release of hostages and the end of two years of fighting. Details:
  • In Israel: Israel's government meets Thursday to formally consider the first phase of the deal, and approval is
...

What to Know About Israel-Hamas Talks

Day one reportedly ended on a positive note

(Newser) - Israel and Hamas began indirect talks on ending the war in Gaza on Monday, after both sides signaled support for US President Trump's peace plan , the AP reports. The talks in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are brokered by the US and aim at hammering out...

After Trump Ultimatum, Hamas Partly Accepts US Plan

Militant group says it's OK with releasing hostages and giving up power, but wants further negotiations

(Newser) - Hamas said Friday that it has accepted some elements of President Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, including giving up power and releasing all remaining hostages, but that others require further consultations among Palestinians. The statement came hours after Trump said that Hamas must agree...

Israel Declares Gaza City a 'Dangerous Combat Zone'

Military recovers bodies of 2 more hostages

(Newser) - Israel on Friday declared Gaza's largest city a dangerous combat zone and said it was in the "initial stages" of a planned offensive as grief spread over the return of two hostages' bodies. Israel said its military had recovered the bodies of two hostages, including an Israeli man...

Hostage Families Want National Walkout in Israel

They want release of hostages, ceasefire to stop 'endless war'

(Newser) - As Israeli leaders push to intensify military action in Gaza, families of hostages are urging the nation to shut down in a bold strike. The Hostage Families Forum, a leading advocacy group, is calling for citizens across Israel to participate in a nationwide walkout on Sunday while pressing the...

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